Composer: Richard Wagner
Performer: Ludwig Suthaus, Martha Mödl, Ferdinand Frantz, Joseg Greindl, Julius Patzak, Rita Streich
Orchestra: Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma della RAI
Conductor: Wilhelm Furtwängler
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Warner
Release: 1972
Size: 756 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
Siegfried
Act 1
01. Vorspiel
02. Scene 1: “Zwangvolle Plage!” (Mime)
03. Scene 1: “Fafner, der wilde Wurm” (Mime)
04. Scene 1: “Hoiho! Hoiho! Hau ein!” (Siegfried, Mime)
05. Scene 1: “Du hast du die Stücken” (Siegfried, Mime)
06. Scene 1: “Als zullendes Kind” (Mime)
07. Scene 1: “Vieles lehrtest du, Mime” (Siegfried)
08. Scene 1: “Mein Kind, das lehrt dich kennen” (Mime, Siegfried)
09. Scene 1: “Wo hast du nun, Mime” (Siegfried, Mime)
10. Scene 1: “Das lügst du, garstiger Gaucht!” (Siegfried, Mime)
11. Scene 1: “So muß ich dich fassen” (Mime, Siegfried)
12. Scene 1: “Einst lag wimmernd ein Weib” (Mime)
13. Scene 1: “So starb meine Mutter an mir?” (Siegfried, Mime)
14. Scene 1: “Das gab mir deine Mutter” (Siegfried, Mime)
15. Scene 1: “Da stürmt er hin!” (Mime)
16. Scene 2: “Heil dir, weiser Schmied!” (Wanderer, Mime)
17. Scene 2: “Viel erforscht’ ich” (Wanderer, Mime)
18. Scene 2: “Hier sitz’ ich am Herd” (Wanderer, Mime)
19. Scene 2: “Du rührtest dich viel auf der Erde” (Mime, Wanderer)
20. Scene 2: “Viel, Wanderer” (Mime, Wanderer)
21. Scene 2: “Fragen und Haupt hast du gelöst” (Mime, Wanderer)
22. Scene 2: “Nun, ehrlicher Zwerg” (Wanderer, Mime)
23. Scene 2: “Die Stücken! Das Schwert!” (Mime)
24. Scene 2: “Dreimal solltest du fragen” (Wanderer)
25. Scene 2: “Verfluchtes Licht” (Mime)
26. Scene 2: “Heda, du Fauler” (Siegfried)
27. Scene 2: “Bist du es, Kind?” (Mime, Siegfried)
28. Scene 2: “Wo nähm’ ich redlichen Rat?” (Mime, Siegfried)
29. Scene 2: “Fühltest du nie im finstren Wald” (Mime, Siegfried)
30. Scene 2: “Neidhöhle wird es genannt” (Mime, Siegfried)
31. Scene 2: “Her mit den Stücken” (Siegfried, Mime)
32. Scene 2: “Hier hilft kein Kluger” (Mime, Siegfried)
33. Scene 2: “Nothung! Nothung! Neidliches Schwert!” (Siegfried)
34. Scene 2: “Er schmiedet das Schwert” (Mime, Siegfried)
35. Scene 2: “Hoho! Hoho! Hohei!” (Siegfried, Mime)
36. Scene 2: “Er schafft sich ein scharles Schwert” (Mime, Siegfried)
37. Scene 2: “Den der Bruder schuf” (Mime, Siegfried)
Act 2
38. Vorspiel
39. Scene 1: “In Wald und Nacht” (Alberich)
40. Scene 1: “Zur Neidhöhle fuhr ich bei Nacht” (Wanderer, Alberich)
41. Scene 1: “Wie stolz du dräust” (Alberich, Wanderer)
42. Scene 1: “Mit mir nicht, hadre mit Mime” (Wanderer, Alberich)
43. Scene 1: “Wer stört mir den Schlaf?” (Fafner, Wanderer, Alberich)
44. Scene 1: “Nun, Alberich, das schlug fehl” (Wanderer, Alberich)
45. Scene 2: “Wir sind zur Stelle!” (Mime, Siegfried)
46. Scene 2: “Gut ist’s, den Schlund ihm zu schließen” (Siegfried, Mime)
47. Scene 2: “Du sollst mich nicht lieben!” (Mime, Siegfried)
48. Scene 2: “Daß der mein Vater nicht ist” (Siegfried)
49. Scene 2: “Aber – wie sah meine Mutter wohl aus?” (Siegfried)
50. Scene 2: “Du holdes Vöglein!” (Siegfried)
51. Scene 2: “Das tönt nicht recht” (Siegfried)
52. Scene 2: “Haha! Da hätte mein Lied” (Siegfried, Fafner)
53. Scene 2: “Da lieg’, neidischer Kerl!” (Siegfried, Fafner)
54. Scene 2: “Zur Kunde taugt kein Toter” (Siegfried)
55. Scene 2: “Hei! Siegfried gehört nun der Niblungen Hort!” (Stimme des Waldvogels, Siegfried)
56. Scene 3: “Wohin schleichst du?” (Alberich, Mime)
57. Scene 3: “Wer schuf den Tarnhelm” (Mime, Alberich)
58. Scene 3: “Behlt’ ihn denn” (Alberich, Mime)
59. Scene 3: “Was ihr mir nützt” (Siegfried, Stimme des Waldvogels)
60. Scene 3: “Willkommen, Siegfried!” (Mime, Siegfried)
61. Scene 3: “Daß du mich hassest!” (Siegfried, Mime)
62. Scene 3: “So willst du mein Schwert” (Siegfried, Mime)
63. Scene 3: “Im Schlafe willst du mich morden?” (Mime, Siegfried)
64. Scene 3: “Da lieg’ auch du, dunkler Wurm!” (Siegfried)
65. Scene 3: “Noch einmal, liebes Vöglein” (Siegfried)
66. Scene 3: “Hei! Siegfried erschlug nun den schlimmen Zwerg!” (Stimme des Waldvogels, Siegfried)
Act 3
67. Vorspiel
68. Scene 1: “Wache, Wala! Wala! Erwach’!” (Wanderer)
69. Scene 1: “Stark ruft das Lied” (Erda, Wanderer)
70. Scene 1: “Im Zwange der Welt” (Wanderer, Erda)
71. Scene 1: “Wirr wird mir” (Wanderer, Erda)
72. Scene 1: “Dir Unweisen ruf’ ich” (Erda, Wanderer)
73. Scene 2: “Mein Vöglein schwebte mir fort!” (Siegfried)
74. Scene 2: “Wohin, Knabe” (Wanderer, Siegfried)
75. Scene 2: “Mich führte Mime” (Siegfried, Wanderer)
76. Scene 2: “Was lachst du mich aus?” (Siegfried, Wanderer)
77. Scene 2: “Wie siehst du denn aus?” (Wanderer, Siegfried)
78. Scene 2: “Kenntest du mich, kühner Spross” (Wanderer, Siegfried)
79. Scene 2: “Fürchte des Felsens Hüter!” (Wanderer, Siegfried)
80. Scene 2: “Mit zerfocht’ner Waffe” (Wanderer, Siegfried)
81. Scene 3: “Selige Öde auf sonniger Höh’!” (Siegfried)
82. Scene 3: “Komm, mein Schwert” (Siegfried)
83. Scene 3: “Wie weck’ ich die Maid” (Siegfried)
84. Scene 3: “Im Schlafe liegt eine Frau” (Siegfried)
85. Scene 3: “Heil dir, Sonne!” (Brünnhilde, Siegfried)
86. Scene 3: “O Siegfried! Siegfried!” (Brünnhilde, Siegfried)
87. Scene 3: “Du wonniges Kind!” (Brünnhilde)
88. Scene 3: “Wie Wunder tönt” (Siegfried)
89. Scene 3: “Dort seh’ ich Grane” (Brünnhilde, Siegfried)
90. Scene 3: “Durch brennendes Feuer” (Siegfried, Brünnhilde)
91. Scene 3: “Noch bist du mir die träumende Maid” (Brünnhilde, Siegfried)
92. Scene 3: “Ewig war ich, ewig bin ich” (Brünnhilde)
93. Scene 3: “Sahst du dein Bild im klaren Bach?” (Brünnhilde)
94. Scene 3: “Dich lieb’ ich” (Siegfried, Brünnhilde)
95. Scene 3: “Was du sein wirst” (Siegfried, Brünnhilde)
96. Scene 3: “O kindischer Held!” (Siegfried, Brünnhilde)
For fans of German conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler, the dispute over which of his Ring cycles is the best recorded will probably never end. Some say his 1950 La Scala Ring is the one, while others would choose his 1953 version from Rome. A few might even say that if more of it were available, the 1937 London Ring would be his best. But since two-thirds of the London Ring remains in private hands, the real contest is between the La Scala and the Rome Rings, and that contest often comes down to which has the best Siegfried — the tetralogy’s central opera (Das Rheingold is but a two-hour prelude), the Ring opera with the widest range of emotions (no other Ring opera has even a hint of humor in it), the only Ring opera with a happy ending, and the Ring opera that at last introduces the Ring’s hero.
Of course, “best” Siegfried means not just the best tenor in the title role, but the best total performance of the whole gesamtkunstwerk. Both recordings have many merits and relatively few demerits. The La Scala Siegfried was taped live in a single night in a theater before an enthusiastic audience and has the searing intensity of a real performance in a real place in real time. The Rome Siegfried, this Siegfried, was recorded in a concert hall one act at a time over eight days — November 10, 13, and 17 — before a respectfully quiet studio audience and gets the maximum strength and energy of its well-rested cast. Both orchestras were first-class ensembles newly familiar with Wagner’s music, and their excitement is manifest in their playing. And both performances were led by Wilhelm Furtwängler, the conductor agreed to be the finest twentieth century interpreter of the nineteenth century Austro-Germanic repertoire. His unique combination of total control with flexible tempos and relentless drive gives Furtwängler’s Wagner immense cogency and enormous inevitability. And his ability to infuse performers with unbearable passion creates interpretations of overwhelming impact. In both Furtwängler’s Seigfrieds, the work’s drama, awe, ecstasy, and humor are more fully and deeply expressed than in any other conductor’s Siegfried.
For Furtwängler fans, the contest boils down to which of the two Seigfrieds has the better cast. La Scala has the disadvantage of Set Svanholm in the title role, a big-voiced but often sloppy singer who often seems to be only approximating the character, while Rome has the advantage of Ludwig Suthaus in the same role, a strong but sensitive singer who comes much closer to embodying Wagner’s ideal heldentenor. La Scala has the advantage of the unbeatable Kirsten Flagstad as a Brünnhilde of unmatched vocal magnificence and interpretive understanding, while Rome has the comparative disadvantage of Martha Mödl as a more soulful and sensual but less awe-inspiring Brünnhilde. La Scala has the distinct disadvantage of Peter Markwort’s nearly spoken Mimi while Rome has the immense advantage of Julius Patzak’s superbly characterized Mimi. And since both casts have the potent Ferdinand Frantz as Wotan, neither recording can be said to have a superior king of the gods.
In the end, it finally comes down to two things: live excitement vs. studio focus and a great Brünnhilde with a weak Siegfried and Mimi vs. a less great Brünnhilde but a better overall cast? And because these things are ultimately matters of taste, Furtwängler fans will never stop debating which is his best Ring.