Wagner: Wotan's Farewell - George London; Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra/Knappertsbusch (1958)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 มี.ค. 2018
- Richard Wagner (1813-1883)
DIE WALKÜRE
Wotans Abschied (Leb wohl, du kühnes, herrliches Kind!)
GEORGE LONDON, bass-baritone
Wiener Philharmoniker
HANS KNAPPERTSBUSCH, conductor
Recording: Musikverein, Vienna, June 9-11, 1958
Leb' wohl, du kühnes, herrliches Kind!
Du meines Herzens heiligster Stolz!
Leb' wohl! leb' wohl! leb' wohl!
(sehr leidenschaftlich) Muß ich dich meiden,
und darf nicht minnig
mein Gruß dich mehr grüßen;
sollst du nun nicht mehr neben mir reiten,
noch Meth beim Mahl mir reichen;
muß ich verlieren dich, die ich liebe,
du lachende Lust meines Auges:
ein bräutliches Feuer soll dir nun brennen,
wie nie einer Braut es gebrannt!
Flammende Gluth umglühe den Fels;
mit zehrenden Schrecken scheuch' es den Zagen;
der Feige fliehe Brünnhildes Fels!
Denn Einer nur freie die Braut,
der freier als ich, der Gott!
Der Augen leuchtendes Paar,
das oft ich lächelnd gekos't,
wenn Kampfeslust ein Kuß dir lohnte,
wenn kindisch lallend der Helden Lob
von holden Lippen dir floß:
dieser Augen strahlendes Paar,
das oft im Sturm mir geglänzt,
wenn Hoffnungssehnen das Herz mir sengte,
nach Weltenwonne mein Wunsch verlangte,
aus wild webendem Bangen:zum letzten Mal letz' es mich heut'
mit des Lebewohles letztem Kuß!
Dem glücklichen Manne glänze sein Stern:
dem unseligen Ew'gen
muß es scheidend sich schließen.
Denn so kehrt der Gott sich dir ab,
so küßt er die Gottheit von dir!
Loge hör'! lausche hieher!
Wie zuerst ich dich fand, als feurige Gluth,
wie dann einst du mir schwandest,
als schweifende Lohe;
wie ich dich band, bann' ich dich heut'!
Herauf, wabernde Lohe,
umlod're mir feurig den Fels!
Wer meines Speeres Spitze fürchtet
durchschreite das Feuer nie!
This is not only music. This is High Magic. Danke schön, Herr Wagner.
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Can you sound anymore pretentious?
The music is wonderful...thank God for KÖNIG LUDWIG II of Bavaria to sponsor him...
Now sponsors make tik tok crap happen. Different times, different atmospheres 😅
I’d go so far as to say this is the greatest piece of music ever written.
Just fantastic...Best of Best...this is one of the most beautiful and intense music of the wagnerian repertoire.
Knappertsbusch, the fabulous Vienna Philharmonic and the one and only George London - it doesn't get any better than that.
George London is Wotan for me. His voice has bite and menace, and he is a true Artist.
I know I'm in a minority, but for me, bite and menace have little to do with Wotan. I want sorrow, pensiveness, warmth in my Wotan. He is a character of many regrets, and that should show in the voice. Again, I know I'm in the minority, but because there was little sense of this dimension and of the poetic in James Morris's Wotan, for instance, I found his Wotan especially disappointing and beside the point. Bite and menace will always, always, be beside the point for me. Sorry. I wish there were uncut Wotans available of Schorr and Schoeffler in their primes, frankly. (Hotter has the right feelings for the part, but I don't find him vocally acceptable during much of the 1950s.)
@@grig035 then I would recommend you Hans Sotin and Jerome Hines.
@@derek2365 Hans Sotin was so close to what I was looking for, yes. I was lucky enough to see his Wotan at the Met during the 1980s, a troubled uneven period at the time, with the very occasional sublime artist compelled to perform alongside second- or third-tier journeymen constantly. (Only Mozart was consistently well cared for.)
Well, Sotin was deeply affecting in the role. But right after taking on Wotan, his upper register grew badly fatigued and he cracked occasionally. It was a shame, but evidently he had taken on too much and did not retain the role after an iffy season or two.
Hines I don't hear as a "man of sorrows" that much, compared to Sotin. I didn't get to see his Wotan, having only caught him during and after his vocal crisis of ca. 1970. But I've heard his Bayreuth Wotan of ten years earlier, and I doubt his much later crisis was due to Wotan, even though he too kept it in his rep a fairly short time.
I had high hopes at the time for the relatively simpatico vocal personas heard in the singing of Hale, Tomlinson and Pedersen. But Hale and Tomlinson grew a bit unsteady in their tones, and Monte Pedersen's career was cut short by tragedy. It's been a frustrating chronicle.
Today, Volle has both a commanding and a warm presence. But in the Walkuere narrative (Act 2), I saw him methodically avoid singing any of the lower notes, choosing to speak those words instead!!!!!!! I have never in my life heard anyone else do that! A shame, as he is an estimable artist in so many ways, and I much admired his Sachs.
Iain Peterson and Tomas Koniezny sing the music more faithfully today, although neither has as much warmth. I must say, though, that Koniezny has an absolutely fabulous sound and knows how to control it! He is a true vocal phenomenon.
Unfortunately, while Owens too is a vocal phenomenon, his Wotan, seen in concert, had severe technical problems: poorly sustained line, overly guttural tone, some marked fatigue by evening's end.
It's frustrating that no one I've seen yet has checked all the boxes. I've heard good things about Goerne in the role, but haven't heard him yet. I regret that Stensvold never came to New York, since I much enjoy his recorded Dutchman.
@@geoffreyriggs2397 your response is greatly appreciated, I get to know more about those fantastic singers. I'm just 23 and I haven't got any chance to experience any of the great LIVE, thus only evaluating their performances via recordings.
At the end of the day my go-to Wotan would always be Hans Hotter. To my ears he had everything that you described for the perfect Wotan, it's such a pity that he suffered from severe Asthma during his prime. I would love to read your reviews about him.
@@grig035 Such “bite and menance” in your comment about George London. If Wotan was that sorrowful and introspective then he would not have blamed his daughter for interpreting his desire and subsequently punishing her. By trying to fight for Siegmund she saved the pregnant Sieglinde who by giving birth to Siegfried offers the world and gods another chance at peace. Wotan should have bite AND regret in his voice.
It was a tragic day for opera when George London was forced to retire from singing. It was also tragic when London suffered a heart attack that left him partly paralyzed and brain-damaged. Rest in peace, George.
Unfortunately I was present at the old Metropolitan Opera at a performance of Die Walkure when his voice was manifesting its destruction by illness--it was excruciating but we the audience just assumed he was having a very bad night.
The best Wotans Abschied I've ever heard. London and Knapperstbusch... a dream come true.
This is the best Abschied I've ever heard. Divine Perfection.
The Best !!!
Hypnotic -- Transcending -- Effervescent -- Wagner -- Forever
Oh my god! How beautiful!
Great Canadian timbre. Must be all the fresh air and hockey.
From 3:38 on, one of the most wonderful passages in music history. Shivers across my spine.
evertime i hear "der Gott" i know this is THE moment, maybe the most beautiful passage in history of (at least romantic) music !
Trancendental extasy! I weep at the beauty of it. Wagners' climaxes are clearly, and almost humorously so, the auditory depictions of an orgasm IMO. It's spectacular
Glad I am not the only one.
That same leitmotif is also present near the end of Liebestod
Die ist wohl die erhabenste und beste Interpretation die ich kenne: Wiener Philharmoniker, George London und Knappertsbusch, Schüler von Hans Richter, erster Dirigent des Rings 1876! Unvergleichlich!
Genau. Und Wagner plaudiert.
I attended a performance of Die Walkure at the Vienna State Opera the last week of December 1970. Sadly, as Wotan , Thomas Stewart, delivered his warning, all I could see of him were his shins and feet. I was in the highest gallery and when he delivered the line "Wer meines Speeres Spitze" etc, he went up on the rock and the top of the stage cut everything from there up off. Life in the cheap seats !
MAGNIFICENT!!!!!!!!!! My favourite version ever!!!!
When Decca made this recording in 1958 it was.... the world's end!!!!
An immortal recording!
Completely agree about the quality of this recording and performance; but just to be clear: the world won't end for another 10 hours or so!
@@LassonDavid In Italy when we say "il finimondo" it s for something great.
Of course time goes on and I hope that our good old planet will live for more time.
Thanks for this info. Found it remastered at Amazon and bought the track.
Danke für diese ganz besondere Aufnahme und diesen wundervollen Moment. Wie schön und traurig zu geich.
Danke
Das Orchester and Dirigent und Sänger scöpfen Ewegkeit.
This is truly Wagner performed at the highest level - surely the thoughts of the great man have transcended straight from his brain into the mouth of GL and into the orchestra to produce such a divine rendition. My love of the Ring cycle started in the early 1960's and this production will stay with me until I depart this mortal coil.
Me too !
Well said.
Yes great music but a disgusting human being
One of the best version I have ever heard!
Probably the greatest Wagnerian conductor of his generation & London superb. Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Sono pienamente d!accoro
Legendary.
Ausserordentlich Herr London!! Das beste was es einmal gab! Ein Denkmal soll zu ihm erritchet werden! Danke!!
As a bass and a conductor I can say with full assurance that this is the greatest recording of the greatest voice to sing this aria in my musical experience. The first time I heard it was in 1995. It blew my mind then and still does now. All other recordings and singers of this aria I have heard fall well short of this performance. Thank you for posting it.
I agree. Geo. London as Wotan is what I have in my ears forever as the definitive to which all others must be compared. Not to denigrate others, fine as they are. But this is the voice that this music was written for. Such richness, depth of tone, yet sensitivity and expression without losing line and tone, all the while remaining generous of giving us voice, and more voice.
Luke Griffith
No denigration intended on my part either.
When I was in Juilliard I also worked in a Sam Goody's record store and picked this up on vinyl. If I remember it also had some Meistersinger on it. I have been looking for this for years. Gotta agree with what you said. Saw him at the Met several times and was incredible. also as Boris. This is the way the piece should sound- voice conducting, orchestra.
Listen to Hans Hotter recordings ; even better
thanks
Such a majestic and powerful voice!
Wunderschöne Version. man glaubt gar nicht dass das 1958 aufgenommen worden ist.
The music....the image....the glory of being alive......
i'd rather be dead to be honest. just a matter of taste i guess
Richard the greatest
WUNDERVOLLE, VIELEN DANK.
Stunning human achievement: Wagner, London and the entire symphony. Can’t hear enough of it.
Between 5:10 and 5:40 it has a perfect pace. Slowing down more and more, then for 3 seconds it accelerates, and then nearly a stop to zero. Perfect!
Божественно❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
This and Solti version have my preference. Truly magnificent and, on top of that, a perfect Wotan, too !
Für mich ist George London das Baßbariton-Äquivalent von Elisabeth Grümmer und Fritz Wunderlich - der Allerbeste in seinem Fach.
Yes, yes!!!
Food for the soul as I listen while studying! Thankyou for the musical treat!🌹👍🎵🎼🎶🎭🤔🤗❤️💛🖤🇩🇪
Unsurpassed !!! Phrasing , clarity , perfect tempi, power - horns blasting out the part , aside from one bad horn attack at 4:20, it’s truly the closest to perfection we are going to get in this realm. I’ve loved this particular excerpt since I first heard it decades ago
How I love the sound of George London; in addition to his expressiveness, it’s that magisterial timbre of his that is simply incomparable. To the person who put James Morris on his level, you must be joking. London has no rival.
I agree. Not even the great Hans Hotter can compete with George London.
….I agree so far. And dare to add George London needs no competition - I am not fond of the expression „rival“ as he was and still is unique. RIP
London was my teacher's teacher and I revere him and love listening to him. But I deplore the constant impulse to rank the great singers of past and present. Music is not a contest. Hotter and Morris are not London, but that doesn't mean each in his own way--I would add Donald McIntyre, the fine Wotan of the Boulez Ring--brings something magical to the role that the world of music would be poorer without.
George London had the most beautiful voice. His timbre is unmatched and emotion saturates every note. Fate stepped in and ended his singing career, but he went on to be a benefactor to generations of new singers. What an artist! What a human being!
Thank you for uploading this treasure.
Who was the moron who told George London to sing Wotan/Wagner? Listen to James Morris, and you'll understand.
They destroyed his voice and it blew out.
If he had stayed with Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini, his career would have been forever. Tragic.
@@billtomicbilltomic5416 You may well be correct. London's voice probably wasn't up to the toll that Wagner exacts.
@@stillstanding6031 Both of you are preposterous. London absolutely thrived in the Wagnerian repertoire and the Dutchman was probably his finest role. Certainly his interpretation of it has yet to be matched. James Morris doesn't hold a candle to him vocally and dramatically, even in his (quite distant) prime. By contrast, London's Verdi roles were confined to Amonasro and in Puccini only Scarpia.
And his Amfortas! With London singing, “Wehvolles Erbe,” pain never sounded so beautiful.
@@NYCOPERAFAN His vocal decline had nothing to do with any such thing as blowing out his voice, whatever that might be. It may have been neurological. Of course, James Morris is a fine singer but not really in the same class.
This turned up in my feed... And what a treat! That voice, the tempi, the orchestral playing, all terrific. Many thanks!
Thank you for sharing. This is the most beautiful recording for me.
That was absolutely fantastic. Thank you!
Por mucho la mejor interpretacion de todos los tiempos knaperbush saco al máximo de exigencia al más grande George London. Mis respetos lo mismo pasa con lourits mechior gigantesco unicos
Überragend
Great recording of my favorite part of the Ring Cycle!
Grandiosa voz,irrepetible.Grandiosa música.
Unbelievely beautiful.
Indeed
I have not heard this recording before. Magnificent! I don't think it is always possible to say who is absolutely the greatest in any role, but I would immediately put George London in my top three along with Hans Hotter and Donald McIntyre.
...one of the voices I would export all over the universe. A voice so unique it only appears once. It never was before, never will be again. The voice of GL is in a league with Wunderlich, Caruso, Callas, to name a few out of the hall of fame. We listen and admire those messengers from heaven.....
I agree. Beyond the earth!
Who was the moron who told George London to sing Wotan/Wagner? Listen to James Morris, and you'll understand.
They destroyed his voice and it blew out.
If he had stayed with Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini, his career would have been forever. Tragic.
@@billtomicbilltomic5416 James Morris is great, but he is not in the same class as London. You may prefer Morris' interpretation, which is moving, but I much prefer London's interpretation and vocal performance.
Unexcelled singing in this role.
Easily the best recording of this glorious excerpt - Hotter in his prime would probably have been even better but his voice had deteriorated by the time he recorded it with Solti
La sombra de George London es demasiado grande, y por muchos años será Wotan, por excelencia.
Magnificent!
Мощно! Великолепно и мощно!
There is much of greatness in George London's interpretation, but one aspect of his singing that truly defines him as the absolute nonpareil in this scene is the incredible size and ringing quality of his high notes.
Beautiful
Quite transcendent!
Ye Gods! The majesty of it!!
Das ist ein Feuerzauber und Wotan zum Erstarren vor Ehrfurcht....
Magnifico !
Wonderful
So sad that the paralyzed vocal cord slashed London's career just as he was entering his prime.
Otherwise, he would have become a splendid Hans Sachs, Iago, Falstaff, perhaps Simone Boccanegra.
A magnificent and TRUE bass-baritone -- powerful, beautiful, with a wide range regarding both compass and dynamics -- and a terrific singing actor.
I agree. Beautiful!! Who was the moron who told George London to sing Wotan/Wagner? Listen to James Morris, and you'll understand.
They destroyed his voice and it blew out.
If he had stayed with Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini, his career would have been forever. Tragic.
@@billtomicbilltomic5416 How many times are you going to spam us with this idiotic comment?
@@billtomicbilltomic5416 Uhhh . . . James Morris is great, but vocally, he simply is not in the same class as George London. London knew how to sing and did not hurt his voice. You are just making that up.
@@patdaley9098 He is making it up qui9te maliciously too. The definition of a troll.
Just imagine the Solti Ring with London in Walküre and Siegfried as well instead of a Hotter well beyond his prime. What a loss...
Probablemente la mejor interpretación que existe de esta emotiva parte de la Walkyria y de su gran final. Excelente registro logrado por DECCA.
Lástima que DECCa no contratase al final a "Kna" para grabar su anillo completo.
The effortless singing of George London is simply unmatchable. The only other Wotan that comes close is Hans Hotter. Knappertsbusch's emotional and heart rending interpretation of this "Wunderwerk" is among the best ever!!
What about Ferdinand Frantz?
Godlike voice !
A gift to the ages,,,
Grande música de Wagner.
とにかく素晴らしい演奏です。未だにこの演奏を超えるヴォータンの別れは聴いたことがありません。
Increíble grabación, de las mejores el medio bajo excelente ☺️👍🤣
Meravellós!
best version
Es magnífica esta pieza, aquí hizo wotan el mayor sacrificio en aras de la restaurar el orden que el no supo preservar: el ragnarok
diese herrliche interessante bass-baritonstimme-auf der bühne leider nicht erlebt-bei uns in münchen sang meistens hans hotter diese partien.(50gerJahre)
I approve of the slov pace. Wotans dilemma is strange: He, to his own regret and remorse, puts Brünhilde to sleep in obedience to his own law! There is not an allmighty god behind him to interfere, if he, the leading god, Wotan, is disobedient! But Wagner can not write the drama without to a degree accepting a "destiny" to punish the breaking of laws, and ensure that Alberichs curse actually takes effect!
Without his wife, Wotan would not punish her so much
A truly great voice, splendid in its powerful vibrato, like Leonard Warren's, the other great bass/baritone of the age. It is sad that physical difficulties curtailed London's career and life. But his recordings leave him a great legacy.
I would class the great Leonard Warren as a high baritone.
Vibrato or wobble? Warren was also developing a wobble. I find both of them to have unnatural sounding voices.
@@marksmith3947 Classical is not natural, it is a learned activity. If you don't like two of the greatest singers of around, that is your problem.
@@patdaley9098 despite your learned comment I stand by my point. London's vocal deterioration after 1960 was evidently due to a medical cause. That Warren had an unusual technique is I think generally accepted. Before he died he was already developing a wobble in his voice. Maybe London was a model of good singing before 1960. I don't think Warren had a technique anyone should copy. Robert Merrill was a singer of that era with a beautiful, natural sound and faultless technique. Please don't bother to respond.
@@marksmith3947 Vocal paralysis would be a medical cause, wouldn't it? George London had a very individual voice. Most of the best known singers have recognizable voices. London had a big voice and he learned how to use it.
Did I say anything against Robert Merrill? He certainly had a wonderful voice and sang well, but I don't think he was as great an artist as Leonard Warren. As for Warren's technique, he and Merrill had very different voices, so of course there would be some technical differences. Warren was an excellent recitalist, as well. He had a big voice and learned how to control it.
One cannot really learn to sing by copying someone else's technique unless your voice is similar. Besides, you hear your own voice from the inside but you hear another singer's voice from the outside.
Bravooooooooooooooo!
Excellent 👏👍☘
GREAT tympany!
Maravilloso!!!!
Powerful, awe inspiring
One of the most beautiful and intense recordings of any opera scene. Kna was kinda miserable person but hell of a conductor of Wagner. London was one the most impressive Wotans ever. I saw him at the Met several times in a variety of roles. Perceptive and intense perforrmances every time regardless of the work.
Un tris d’assai:vertice della musica wagneriani. Insuperabile
It's really 1958? Even on a.. Mobile phone, the sound is surprisingly good?
They had open reel tape decks back then, you know, and some very good microphones, as well.
Phenomenal!
5:34
(Brünnhilde, deeply moved, sinks in ecstasy on
Wotan's breast: he holds her in a long embrace.)
(She throws her head back again and, still
embracing Wotan, gazes with deep enthusiasm in his eyes.)
Thy brightly glittering eyes,
that, smiling, oft I caressed,
when valor won a kiss as guerdon,
when childish lispings of heroes' praise
from sweetest lips has flowed forth:
those gleaming radiant eyes
that oft in storms on me shone,
when hopeless yearning my heart had wasted,
when world's delights all my wishes wakened,
thro' wild wildering sadness:
once more today, lured by their light,
my lips shall give them love's farewell!
On mortal more blessed once may they beam:
on me, hapless immortal,
must they close now forever.
(He clasps her head in his hands.)
For so turns the god now from thee,
so kisses thy godhood away!
(He kisses her long on the eyes. She sinks back with
closed eyes, unconscious, in his arms. He gently bears
her to a low mossy mound, which is overshadowed
by a wide-spreading fir tree, and lays her upon it.)
(He looks upon her and closes her helmet: his eyes
then rest on the form of the sleeper, which he now
completely covers with the great steel shield of the
Valkyrie. He turns slowly away, then again turns
around with a sorrowful look.)
(He strides with solemn decision to the middle of
the stage and directs the point of his spear toward a
large rock.)
Thank you for this.
Bravo!
A pesar del tiempo en que fue grabada, está fabulosa
Quite exceptional.
Listen to José van Dam with Pappano at La Monnaie.. Lawrence Tibbet with Stokowski and Philadelphia.
the opening just sends me into rapture
14:30: what can you say about this? One of the best wagner line 15:15 !
Also the text is great, check it out, rven better than the music
Sublime....
Richard Wagner:A Walkűr-Wotan búcsúja
George London-basszbariton
Bécsi Filharmonikus Zenekar
Vezényel:Hans Knappertsbusch
DIOS MIO, QUE VOZ TAN POTENTE Y GRANDIOSA, QUE TECNICA DE INTERPRETACION Y QUE ORQUSTACION MARAVILLOSA, ENVOLVENTE Y SUBLIME, SOLO LOS DIOSES LO PUDIERAN HACER MEJOR, QUE REGALO DE LOS DIOSES, DIVINA PIEZA.
!Sin duda!
Quizás uno de los mejores wotan de la música
4:54 -5:14 sound like the ending to Part Of Your World
Even better than with Leinsdorf. Is there a complete recording with Kna?
DECCA
@@rudolfsmolej9495 With George London als Wotan?
@@petatap3737 2x einmal Arien
Gesamtaufnahme ua Svanholm, Flagstad
@@rudolfsmolej9495 Yes, I see: th-cam.com/video/L_389ZH18Uk/w-d-xo.html
I suppose your appreciation of this depends on how dark you think your Wotan should be and whether it's worth compromising the highest notes of the role for a more godlike sound that you get with bass voices rather than baritones. George London was an incomparable Amfortas but I do prefer someone like Hotter in this role because of his awesome top notes, which are just more convincing than London's. Thankfully we don't have to choose and we can hear one and the other and be grateful that we could hear them in their prime.
Masterpiece
The gods themselves!
Cierto.Voz,música,orquesta,dirección.Solo los dioses lo podrían hacer mejor.
10:30 - 12:15, one fantastic musical interlude, brilliant in every way, how could such a savage and demented mind like Wagner’s have created it?
9:30 the last piece of musik man has created.