Mastodon Harry Kupfer/Barenboim Bayreuth Ring: re-released and remastered Oct 2011 - The Wagnerian

Harry Kupfer/Barenboim Bayreuth Ring: re-released and remastered Oct 2011

Written By The Wagnerian on Wednesday 28 September 2011 | 10:44:00 pm

Bayreuth Festival Production of Harry Kupfer’s The Complete Cycle of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, conducted by Daniel Barenboim.

Newly Re-mastered 11-DVD Box Set available on October 25th.

Kultur is pleased to announce its release of Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, filmed at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus in June & July 1991 and 1992. This historic Ring Cycle, under the musical direction of Daniel Barenboim, will be available on October 25, for a suggested retail price of $99.99.


In going back to the original high definition video master tapes and using cutting-edge encoding technology, Kultur was able to maximize the video quality of this new presentation of this historic Ring. Along with the 11-disc transfer, this allowed Kultur to exploit the DVD standard to its fullest and including three audio streams, LPCM, Dolby 5.1 and DTS 5.1.

(Isn't this the greatest entrance in opera history?)

The production of Wagner's Ring at the Bayreuth Festival is an event that takes place every six years. Bayreuth recordings of the complete cycle are rare; this is the second filmed version. The Kupfer/Barenboim Ring was performed over a five-year period and recorded at the conclusion when the "Bayreuth Workshop" had raised "the quality of the performance to an almost unsurpassable level" (Der Tagesspiegel).

The Cast Includes:

Das Rheingold
John Tomlinson Wotan · Bodo Brinkmann Donner
Kurt Schreibmayer Froh · Graham Clark Loge
Günter von Kannen Alberich · Helmut Pampuch Mime
Matthias Hölle Fasolt · Philip Kang Fafner
Linda Finnie Fricka · Eva Johansson Freia
Birgitta Svendén Erda · Hilde Leidland Woglinde
Annette Küttenbaum Wellgunde · Jane Turner Flosshilde

(And isn't this the greatest "exit"?)
Die Walküre
Poul Elming Siegmund · Nadine Secunde Sieglinde
Matthias Hölle Hunding · John Tomlinson Wotan
Anne Evans Brünnhilde · Linda Finnie Fricka/Siegrune
Eva Johansson Gerhilde · Ruth Floeren Ortlinde
Shirley Close Waltraute · Hitomi Katagiri Schwertleite
Eva-Maria Bundschuh Helmwige
Birgitta Svendén Grimgerde · Hebe Dijkstra Roßweiße

Siegfried
Siegfried Jerusalem Siegfried
John Tomlinson Der Wanderer
Günter von Kannen Alberich · Philip Kang Fafner
Graham Clark Mime · Anne Evans Brünnhilde
Birgitta Svendén Erda · Hilde Leidland Waldvogel

Götterdämmerung
Siegfried Jerusalem Siegfried
Bodo Brinkmann Gunther · Philip Kang Hagen
Günter von Kannen Alberich · Anne Evans Brünnhilde
Eva-Maria Bundschuh Gutrune
Waltraud Meier Waltraute · Birgitta Svendén 1. Norn
Linda Finnie 2. Norn · Uta Priew 3. Norn
Hilde Leidland Woglinde
Annette Küttenbaum Wellgunde
Jane Turner Flosshilde

Bonus Feature
Daniel Barenboim and John Tomlinson talk about the Harry Kupfer production of the "Ring" at Bayreuth in 1991 and 1992

Credits
Daniel Barenboim, Music Director
Chor und Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele
Staged and directed by Harry Kupfer
Stage design Hans Schavernoch
Costume design Reinhard Heinrich
Video director Horant H. Hohlfeld
Artistic supervision Wolfgang Wagner
A production of Unitel GmbH & Co., KG, Munich
© 1992, 1993 Unitel. Licensed to Warner Classics, Warner Music UK Ltd. A Warner Music Group Company. Distributed in North America by Kultur International Films, Ltd., Inc.

Der Ring des Nibelungen
Street Date: October 25, 2011
SRP: $99.99
SKU: D4755
Run Time: 917 minutes
UPC: 032031475595
ISBN: 978-0-7697-9134-0
Territory: U.S. and Canada--Region 1