Description
Comprising four separate operas, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) is one of the supreme works in the history of music. Part II of the tetralogy, Die Walküre, centres on the young lovers Siegmund and Sieglinde, whose relationship angers Fricka, goddess of marriage, and on the disobedience of the Valkyrie Brünnhilde who is sent to carry out Fricka's wishes. Performed by an all-star international cast, the work features thrilling set-pieces such as Wotan's Farewell and the Ride of the Valkyries. The Prologue, Das Rheingold, can be heard on Naxos 8.660374-75, selected as 'Album of the Week' by The Sunday Times of London, which praised its 'thrilling sense of drama'. Das Rheingold was hailed as 'Album of the Week' by The Sunday Times of London, which praised its 'thrilling sense of drama.' BBC Music Magazine wrote that 'Van Zweden conducts with an easy sweep that would carry one along in the opera house, drawing some splendid sound from the orchestra...'Gramophone wrote: 'Matthias Goerne sings Wotan beautifully, with much baritonal sophistication, predictable (from an experienced Lieder recitalist) care for words and able negotiation of trickier moments...'All-star international cast with Stuart Skelton as Siegmund, who won the 2014 International Opera Awards for Best Male Singer, and was selected as one of the 20 Greatest Wagner Singers of all Time by Australia's Limelight magazine. Matthias Goerne as Wotan is a supreme interpreter of song and has appeared on opera stages since his Salzburg debut in 1997. Michelle DeYoung is a multi-GRAMMY® Award-winner and a regular performer at the Met in New York.
