Wagner: Orchestral Works from the Music Cycle "The Ring of the Nibelung" (SACD HYBRID)

Synopsis

Paavo Järvi's first Wagner recording is a weighty, masterful performance made possible only by the NHK Symphony Orchestra.

■ Paavo Järvi highly values ​​the NHK Symphony Orchestra's tradition of performing German music, cultivated under renowned German conductors such as Sawallisch, Suitner, and Stein. Therefore, just like his R. Strauss symphonic poem project, it was only natural that he would choose the NHK Symphony Orchestra for his first-ever recording of Wagner. This album, recorded live at Suntory Hall in February 2018, features orchestral pieces selected by Järvi from the four-part "Ring Cycle of the Nibelung," which requires four days and approximately 15 hours to perform in its entirety. These pieces are often performed independently and are arranged in chronological order of the drama.

■ Beginning with the magnificent climax of "Das Rheingold," the program progresses through the vibrant "Ride of the Valkyries," the most emotionally charged "Wotan's Farewell" from the Ring Cycle, the serene "Forest Murmurs," and finally to "Götterdämmerung." Järvi's sharp conducting is met with a robust and rich sound from the NHK Symphony Orchestra, vividly expressing the musical meaning and character embedded in each motif, revealing a strikingly colorful world of Wagner.

▼Track Listing 1. Wotan's Farewell and the Magic Fire Music (Die Walküre) [15:34] 2. Ride of the Valkyries (Die Walküre) [5:06] 3. Forest Murmurs (Siegfried) [8:53] 4. Siegfried's Funeral March (Götterdämmerung) [8:22] 5. Dawn and Siegfried's Journey to the Rhine (Götterdämmerung) [10:59] 6. The Gods' Entry into Valhalla* (Das Rheingold) [7:43]

[Orchestral Arrangements] 1, 2, 6: Wouter Hutschenruiter 3: Hermann Zumpe 4: Ludwig Stasny 5: Engelbert Humperdinck *The track order has been changed from the originally announced version.

NHK Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Paavo Järvi [Recording] Live recording (DSD recording) of the NHK Symphony Orchestra's 1881st Regular Concert at Suntory Hall, February 21st & 22nd, 2018 (Program B)

SA-CD Hybrid, SA-CD layer is 2ch

Media Reviews and Others

Paavo Järvi highly values ​​the NHK Symphony Orchestra's performance tradition of German music, cultivated under renowned German conductors such as Sawallisch, Suitner, and Stein. Therefore, it was only natural that he would choose the NHK Symphony Orchestra for his first-ever recording of Wagner's works, similar to his R. Strauss symphonic poem project. This album was recorded at a live performance at Suntory Hall in February 2018. It features orchestral pieces selected by Järvi from the four-part "The Ring of the Nibelung," a work that requires four days and approximately 15 hours to perform in its entirety. These pieces are considered the highlights of the piece and are often performed independently, and are arranged in chronological order according to the drama's timeline. (C)RS