Great Wagner Compilation

[MJM]

I have been enjoying a very well done musical journey through Wagner's Ring Cycle entitled, "Der Symphonische Ring", by the Duisburg Philharmoniker. It's available from, www.acousence.de, under "21309 - WAGNER / Dreßler: THE SYMPHONIC RING," in extreme high definition versions. It's also downloadable in Audiophile quality versions at LINN Records.

 

I think this album will become a classic. It's a great introduction to Wagner for those who are curious. And, what a great way to break-in a new Mytek DAC. This recording will definitely proof test your speakers. Enjoy!

 

It helps a lot to first get some background understanding of the mythological world that one enters into when listening to this music. I have not yet seen the complete ring cycle myself. I'm still looking for the best high quality videos for those operas....

 

[seatrope]

I am using the same tracks to break in my Mytek too! even better, though, is a similar compilation/orchestral adaptation by Edo de Waart which is on SACD (Ring, Tristan and Meistersinger are all available). Ripping via the PS3 gives me pure DSD playback.

 

I also have the Melba Australian Ring, which I am not a big fan of sonically. I just bought another SACD Ring cycle which I have not ripped via PS3 yet.

 

Are you running any of the Wagner as DSD?

 

Yeang

 

[coot]

As great as listening to Wagner excerpts is, opera on screen is a whole 'nuther world. Highly recommended. I just can't sit through a whole 3 hrs. Get the newest versions you can find and be sure they are NOT film versions with actors lip-syncing. Enjoy!

 

[R Johnson]

You might want to check out the recent Ring cycle from Valencia conducted by Zubin Mehta available on Blu-ray and DVD. I did not care for the Weimar version.

 

The Metropolitan Opera's recent Ring production by Robert Lepage transmitted to movie theaters will presumably eventually be released on disc.

 

Your library or rental sources might carry the classic Bayreuth Chereau/Boulez production and/or the Met's older traditional production. These are quite a few years old, so the video is just OK.

 

[MJM]

My Wagner compilation is one of the "studio master versions" in 24 bit, 96 kHz FLAC. I bought it from LINN before I acquired the Mytek. If I could have predicted the future, I would have gotten the 192 kHz version because now I can play it.

 

That brings up an important issue. What will be considered high resolution in the near future? I've read about Japanese companies testing 24.5 MHz DSD. (reference: puresuperaudio.blogspot.com) My brand new DAC only does 2.8 MHz DSD. So, I wonder if it will be obsolete in a couple years.

 

I can say that I'm very happy with high res FLAC, but I haven't experimented much with DSD yet. The downloads are expensive and there is not that much selection at this time. I really hope a "best practices" format will be adopted soon. I would hate to invest a whole bunch of money in music and then later find that there is something a lot better I could have gotten instead.

 

Another recommendation: There is the great New Years Concert (Das Neujahrskonzert der Wiener Philharmoniker) each year I want to get, but there are no downloads of it. I'm looking at getting an OPPO or Cambridge Audio SACD-BD-DVD player just so I can watch the concert on disc. Johann Strauss and the waltzes are another really great music tradition to get started especially in a family. I think it's great for children to listen to that music when they are young and then, they will always find comfort in it when they are old - that's what happened to me!

 

 

 

[R Johnson]

I no longer worry about high-resolution formats, let alone what might be coming next. I've done enough testing to know that, at least for my old ears and modest system, the advantages of greater than CD's 16/44.1 are pretty hard to discern. For me, the high-res price premium is better used for more content instead.

 

I have several New Year's Concerts recorded in high-definition from the PBS broadcasts. Quite enjoyable!