We need some Wagner

[xcortes]

Since you have access to Decca, the Sir Georg Solti ring cycle is a fantastic piece of recording history and a great musical and sonic achievement. It was a titanic effort for its time to do a studio recording of the complete cycle with the best Wagnerian cast available at the time. The engineers made big efforts to utilize the newly developed stereophonic technology at its best and the recording crew put as much emphasis on the sonics and "special effects" as it did on the music itself. There's a book about its recording but I can't remember its title and google is not helping. Some people swear for the Furtwangler, others for the Karajan and others for the Solti's ring. I've only heard the last (which was actually the first) and I love it.

Ok, so you can't put 15 hours on one TP title? You won't devote the whole 2008 to the ring either? Not even a full opera? Well, even though I usually hate "highlights" records I would be very happy with one. Maybe a selection of overtures and preludes? I'm sure Decca has released such selections during the years.

[AZ_Gary]

Xavier,

The full opera would be great. Let's see, 15 hours that's 30 tapes or the equivalent of 15 TP albums at $200 each ... only $3000! Sure would be nice, though!

Gary

[ironbut]

I really love the Solti also. I've got a couple of the sets on London on 7.5 ips and they're pretty good. If your into opera and Solti, you should get Strauss/Electra with Birgit Nilsson and Vienna. Fantastic recording and it's pretty easy to find on 7.5ips tape.

[TomR]

Well, I am ignoring the admonition to start a new topic. Went to Das Rheingold at the SF Opera last night - brilliant performance of a very rich score, and it seems to me that the Solti Das Rheingold ought to be a candidate as a pioneering audiophile recording. It was on 7.5 ips rtr in the heyday. Yes, high cost, and since Wagnerian opera may not be every suscriber's cup of tea perhaps this ought to be offered outside of the standard subscription series, possibly even on a preorder basis.