I’ve been banished from the living room and so the home theatre by the lemur practicing for a dance recital. As a result I’m listening, on my iPod, to Solti’s recording of The Ring, which I was introduced to nearly four decades ago. Listening to Das Rheingold again today after a long lay off I’m struck by how utterly brilliant it is. Gustav Neidlinger’s Alberich is a marvel. He’s singing lyrically not snarling or barking and it sounds quite lovely. Solti’s command of rhythm is astonishing. One could dance to this! And has John Culshaw’s sound engineering ever been bettered?
Still wonderful as it is it’s having much the same effect as Proust’s madeleine. I first heard this recording (on vinyl of course) courtesy of the man who taught me Applied Maths for ‘A’ level . He was a rather sad old chap but he introduced me to Wagner, Quad electrostatic speakers and gin. He’s long dead of course. So it goes.
operaramblings 
Wish I had a little Solti on my shoulder keeping time for me!
Thanks for understanding ,sweetheart. I love you.
Maybe the Lemur could dance to Wagner and you could both be happy?
I’m not unhappy but the idea of Kathak being danced to Wagner is indeed intriguing.
That would probably involve one dancer telling the story, playing all the characters plus, a section of the orchestra repeating a theka leitmotif so the dancer knew where they were in the rhythmic cycle. The rest of the orchestra would have to keep it a bit quiet or no one would hear the dancer’s feet…or we could design special Wagnerian bells…
Not to mention the gigantic Wagner Tabla…
Die Ghungroo des Niebelungen plus Shiva’s Damaru should be enough to drown out any orchestra…and possibly drown everyone in the theatre with the ensuing thunderstorm.
So good to read about Solti and Culshaw again. We shouldn’t forget what they did- audio of that quality, with such a strong performance- it really was a new genre they imagined- not just another set of recordings.
And such luxury casting. Joan Sutherland as the Waldvogel!