Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection

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Free Music Notes for Twilight of the Gods: The Essential Wagner Collection

Free Music Review: AND NOW FOR A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC . . . RECOMMENDATION
Hit: 5 Stars

My favorite types of music come from the classical and baroque eras, and my favorite composers are Bach, Mozart and Handel. The cerebral nature of their music attracts me, and makes them primus inter pares in my personal musical firmament. And as mentioned before, Bach's Goldberg Variations are my favorite work of music--ever.

But that doesn't mean I don't like music from the Romantic Era. Chopin and Liszt are wonderful at satiating my desire for dazzling piano music. Brahms' orchestral works are grand and haunting. Schubert's string quartets show an astonishing range of power and depth.

And Wagner . . . Good Lord, Wagner is amazing.

Of course, I love, as does everyone the famous "Ride of the Valkyries." But there is so much on this double CD set that is just jaw-dropping in terms of the genius that it contains. "Siegfried's Funeral March"--which was part of the soundtrack for the movie "Excalibur"--is awesome and majestic in its tone and scope. The music from the "Transformation Scene" in "Parsifal" is utterly beautiful--there are no other words to describe it. And the music marking "The Entry of the Gods into Valhalla," from "Das Rheingold" has always been one of my favorites ....

Two pieces that I was introduced to upon the purchase of the CD set are "The Sailors' Chorus," from "The Flying Dutchman," and "The Entry of the Guests" from "Tannhauser." "The Sailor's Chorus" is wonderful, especially because it doesn't sound like a bunch of opera stars singing it. Instead, it really does sound like carousing sailors bawling out a tune, but doing it in a manner that makes one respect their musical talents and their voices. The singers don't sound like professional opera stars who are incidentally playing sailors. Instead, they sound like sailors who really can sing. The result is delightful.

As for "Entry of the Guests," the flourish played by the brass that begins the piece gives it a regal air, and the singing gives it a warm and welcoming feel. Combining these two emotions into one piece takes a lot of work and imagination, and yet Wagner pulls off the task flawlessly. The piece also evinces Wagner's maturity in composition, as he successfully manages a complicated harmonization with flair and aplomb.

After listening to both CDs (exhaustively, I might add), I can now fully understand why people would want to engage in a Wagnerthon--attending consecutive performances of his major operas in a manner that would exhaust and drain a normal human being. It's because while the performances may drain, they also revitalize. The music virtually sweats genius. One gets wet and soaked by it just from listening. It seems like it would be easy to replicate Wagner, but if it is possible, I have yet to meet the modern composer who can. When a CD player is turned on, and such timeless talent oozes through the speakers, the only hope that can be entertained is that we will find something to excel at in our lives, as Wagner excelled in music.

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