For more info about the
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and the Wagner project click here
(please note that the site also has an English language button)
For more info about the
Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and the Wagner project click here
(please note that the site also has an English language button)
NEW WAGNER EDITION To celebrate its 10th anniversary PentaTone has decided to embark on a unique project: Recording the 10 major Wagner operas with the same forces. Never before a record company has recorded all Wagner opera's with the same Orchestra, Choir and conductor. This project became possible since the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin had decided to program all the Wagner opera's in three seasons in concert performances. Marek Janowski the Music Director of the Orchestra (who a.o. recorded the first digital Ring cycle in Dresden) felt that in Berlin with its 3 opera houses too much attention went to the mis en scene and wanted to enable the audiences of his orchestra to listen to the music Wagner has composed without being detracted by the way stage directors and set designers influence the Wagner experience and detract from the music. For the full story we refer to the (video) interview with Marek Janowski which was done by the magazine "Gramophone" which will soon be posted on the Gramophone website. A short version of the interview will be published by "Gramophone" in the print version of the awards issue of the magazine (street date: 7 October 2011). Partners in the project are Deutschland Radio and the Rundfunk Chor Berlin. Each opera will only be performed once. Concerts take place in the Philharmonie in Berlin, one of the "homes" of the orchestra (the other one is the Konzerthaus in former East Berlin). The decision to do the concerts in the prestigious Philharmonie, -which was best suited for the mega forces needed for the Wagner operas- immediate triggered a lot of logistical problems since most of the year the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is giving its performances in this venue. Not just 10 free nights were needed spread over 3 seasons, but also at least three days prior to each concert for rehearsals. Only after all the free "slots" had been found the selection of (top) singers could start. PentaTone's recording partner Polyhymnia International will record all concerts plus the rehearsals. Here is the schedule of the concerts.
All recordings will be made in highres technology and all albums will only be released on SA-CD, packaged in a deluxe digipack. The booklet will have full libretto in German and English. PentaTone plans to release all opera's with intervals of approximately 3 months starting with the "Flying Dutchman" in September 2011. In November 2011 follows "Meistersinger" and so forth and so on. We aim at having all opera's released before the end of the (Wagner) year 2013.
After release of all individual opera's PentaTone will make available a deluxe box in which all the individual will fit plus a bonus DVD wich PentaTone plans to create with footage from some of the concerts, the 1 ½ hour interview with Marek Janowski etc. We believe that this edition is likely to become a collector's item. For that reason we have created an incentive for buyers of all the first 9 releases. In the digipack of each album a coupon is included in one of the paper sleeves in which the discs are put. Those consumers who hand over the nine (different) coupons of the first nine releases to his/her retailer has 2 options: 1) to get a 50% discount on the last release 2) to get the box plus bonus DVD for free We will regularly update this section of the PentaTone website with news about the Wagner Edition. |
