OT: Ring Cycle on Blu-ray

[justininsf]

Off topic, but I would love our opinions of what Ring cycles are good on Blu-Ray?  I'm only looking for Blu-ray productions so am not looking at audio/cd or even DVD versions.  I'm not a huge Wagner expert or afficionado, I only know the Solti ring on Decca/London, but would like to have one to watch in glorious HD.

I found some on amazon and would like to get one, these are what I've found (descriptions are from Amazon), any of you ever seen/heard these?

BARENBOIM/KUPFER, 2012
The production of Wagner's Ring at the Bayreuth Festival is an event that takes place only once every six years. Bayreuth recordings of the complete cycle are very rare; this being only 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)
http://www.amazon.com/Ring-Nibelungen-Blu-ray-Daniel-Barenboim/dp/B008VNIA32/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1352686732&sr=1-2&keywords=wagner



THE METROPOLITAN OPERA, Robert Lepage production (2012)
The most famous, the most performed, the most thrilling, and the most recorded opera cycle in music history. A unique and exclusive package, on multi-Blu-Ray set, of the most successful Ring Cycle production of the 21th century. Filmed at the world-famous Metropolitan Opera House in New York, in high definition the award winning Robert Lepage production. Featuring Bryn Terfel as Wotan universally recognized as the finest Bass-Baritone and Wotan of his generation. Also starring Deborah Voigt as Brunnhilde, and Star Tenor Jonas Kaufmann as Siegmund. The ultimate product to launch Universal Classics significant and substantial celebration of the Wagner Anniversary Year (1813 to 2013).
http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Nibelungen-Blu-ray-Metropolitan-Opera/dp/B008ER9QLK/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1352686732&sr=1-1&keywords=wagner



STAATSKAPELLE WEIMAR,  Carl St. Clair (2008)
First Ring Cycle box set on Blu Ray!
Outside Germany, the name Weimar tends to evoke mixed feelings
and pictures of German history of the last hundred years. Within
Germany, Weimar means a town in the state of Thuringia arguably
saturated with the 'Deutsche Kultur' of the 'Weimarer Klassik', the
legendary Bauhaus, and finally the life and work of Franz Liszt and
his son in law Richard Wagner. In Weimar Richard Wagner began
composing the first part of his RING-cycle, 'Das Rheingold'.
In 2008 the Nationaltheater Weimar started a new production of
this unique tetralogy. The conductor is Carl St. Clair, a former student of Leonard Bernstein. With Michael Schulz fine and highly
intelligent staging this new 'Ring' production becomes an outstanding document of contemporary opera theatre.
http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Ring-Nibelungen-Blu-ray/dp/B002JP9HIA/ref=sr_1_11?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1352686732&sr=1-11&keywords=wagner


MEHTA (2010)
La Fura del Baus, famous for their opening ceremony of the Olympic games in Barcelona and opera
stagings in Salzburg, Ruhrtriennale, etc., use in their groundbreaking Ring 3D computer projections that
evoke computer games and organic structures built of athletic performers that recall the 'Cirque du soleil'. This production from 2007/2009 at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, Valencia, Spain, incl. world-class Wagner
singers such as Salminen, Kapellmann, Mayer, Schnitzer and promising young talents like Jennifer Wilson
(Brünnhilde), John Daszak (Loge) and Juha Uusitalo (Wotan)
http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Nibelungen-Blu-ray-Juha-Uusitalo/dp/B00424NWIW/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1352686732&sr=1-3&keywords=wagner

[waderice]

Personally, I would prefer to have the traditionally-staged version of the earlier Met performances of the 1980's, as it is probably better than any of the ones on Blu-ray (more consistent throughout musically), but those were videotaped in standard definition.  The Barenboim has received good praise.

You neglected to mention that the Solti Ring is now available in a 7,000-copy limited edition on Blu-ray (naturally, audio-only).  Amazon.com link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/Wagner-Der-Ring-des-Nibelungen-George-Solti-Blu-ray/ref=%26%2574%2561g%3d%2562l%2575r%2561y%252d020%252d20?SubscriptionId=AKIAIY4YSQJMFDJATNBA&tag=bluray-020-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B008J1QFLU&ASIN=B008J1QFLU&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER.  The entire Solti Ring can be had, yes, on one Blu-ray disk.  I had been toying with the huge task of transferring my open-reel tape version to regular CD, but that would be a humongous task of which I wouldn't have the patience to do, and edit it properly with track markers at the proper locations.  So I went and bought this new regular CD/Blu-ray edition, and considering how much I have in my own personal library about the Ring, I'd personally be happy enough with what I have to let the stage of my imagination go wild and let Solti's audio-only recording guide how I want to visually stage the Ring.  The new Solti set includes all relevant literature surrounding its production, so look at the specs of the set.  The sound is spectacular on the CD edition, though I'm sure it sounds great on a surround-sound system, which I don't yet have, though I have played the Blu-ray disk on my TV's Blu-ray player to make sure it worked.

Wade

[Ben]

You might amend the Barenboim dates from 2012 to the early 1990s, when it was recorded.  This is just a re-release on Blu-Ray in 2012.

I can't comment on the Blu-Ray quality, but I watched the PBS broadcast of the MET Ring cycle earlier this fall.  I imagine the visuals look great on Blu-Ray.  I was disappointed in the audio quality, but I'm sure this was due to the audio compression for TV.  Perhaps it was better when they were originally broadcast to the movie theaters?  I enjoyed this Ring, though I know it wasn't universally praised.  If you like the concept of the "Machine", then I don't see a reason to avoid it.  I could tell a marked difference between the two conductors and how the Met sounded under each, James Levine and Fabio Luisi.  I much preferred Luisi and thought they played much better for him.

I've never seen the Barenboim/Bayreuth production, only listened to some of it.  The playing has to be heard to be believed - the Bayreuth orchestra is absolutely on fire.  The brass playing is phenomenal.  Raw, unbridled, hot-blooded emotion coming from the pit.  It's pretty spectacular.  The MET Orchestra sounds tame in comparison.

I'm sorry I don't have the time to comment on the vocals for each production - it's just too much to discuss.

I don't know anything about the St. Clair/Weimar production.

Both the MET and Bayreuth productions are not traditional, if that's a concern.

[Damfino]

I have read on Blu-ray forums that the Valencia Ring is marred by some sound issues in which a performer is one one side of the screen, and the sound is reversed with his voice coming out the other side. I think they reissued it, but one should be careful as to which version one is buying.