EMI & DG to release "bargain priced" Complete Wagner boxsets

We would find it difficult to ever suggest one boxset of Wagner's dramas - and would always recommend buying sets individually but for those new to Wagner , or simply those who do not own these individually, these sets are definitely worth a look. This is especially so when the EMI set is priced at £56 and the DG at £58.00. Clearly the DG is the only "complete" set and perhaps is the most "compelling" of the two. The EMI will be released on the 29 October and the DG on the 5 November 2012. On these dates you should be able to listen to samples at the usual places.

Wagner: The Great Operas (EMI)

Rienzi
René Kollo (Cola Rienzi), Siv Wennberg (Irene), Nikolaus Hillebrand (Steffano Colonna) & Janis Martin (Adriano Colonna)
Choir of the State Opera in Dresden & Staatskapelle Dresden, Heinrich Hollreiser

Der fliegende Holländer
Theo Adam (Dutchman), Anja Silja (Senta) & Martti Talvela (Daland)
BBC Chorus & New Philharmonia Orchestra, Otto Klemperer

Tannhäuser
Klaus König (Tannhäuser), Lucia Popp (Elisabeth), Bernd Weikl (Wolfram von Eschenbach) & Waltraud Meier (Venus)
Choir and Symphony Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio, Bernard Haitink

Lohengrin
Jess Thomas (Lohengrin), Elisabeth Grummer (Elsa of Brabant), Christa Ludwig (Ortrud) & Fischer-Dieskau (Friedrich von Telramund)
Choir of the Vienna State Opera & Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Rudolf Kempe

Der Ring des Nibelungen
Robert Hale (Wotan), Marjana Lipovsek (Fricka), Ekkehard Wlaschina (Alberich), Helmut Pampuch (Mime), Kurt Moll (Fafner, Hunding), Hildegard Behrens (Brünnhilde), Julia Varady (Sieglinde ), Robert Schunk (Siegmund), René Kollo (Siegfried), Matti Salminen (Hagen), Hans Günter Nöcker (Gunther) & Lisbeth Balslev (Gutrune)
Chorus of the Bavarian State Opera & Bavarian State Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch

Tristan und Isolde
Plácido Domingo (Tristan), Nina Stemme (Isolde), Mihoko Fujimara (Brangaene) & René Pape (King brand)
Royal Opera Chorus & Orchestra of the Royal Opera Hous, Antonio Pappano

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Theo Adam (Hans Sachs), Geraint Evans (Sixtus Beckmesser), René Kollo (Walther von Stolzing), Peter Schreier (David) & Helen Donath (Eva)
Choir of the State Opera in Dresden & Choir of the Leipzig Radio Staatskapelle Dresden, Herbert von Karajan

Parsifal
Donald McIntyre (Gurnemanz), Waltraud Meier (Kundry), Phillip Joll (Amfortas) & Warren Ellsworth (Parsifal)
Chorus and Orchestra of Welsh National Opera, Reginald Goodall

Wagner: The Complete Operas

Der Ring des Nibelungen

Recording: New York Metropolitan Opera 1987-1989

Das Rheingold: James Morris (Wotan), Christa Ludwig (Fricka), Siegfried Jerusalem (Loge), Ekkehard Wlaschiha (Alberich), Heinz Zednik (Mime), Kurt Moll (Fasolt), Jan-Hendrik Rootering (Fafner), Mari Anne Haeggander (Freia), Mark Baker (Froh), Siegfried Lorenz (Donner), Birgitta Svendén (Erda), Hei-Kyung Hong (Woglinde), Diane Kesling (Wellgunde), Meredith Parsons (Flosshilde), Die Walküre: Hildegard Behrens (Brünnhilde), James Morris (Wotan), Jessye Norman (Sieglinde), Gary Lakes (Siegmund), Christa Ludwig (Fricka), Kurt Moll (Hunding), Marita Napier (Gerhilde), Marilyn Mims (Ortlinde), Linda Kelm (Helmwige), Reinhild Runkel (Waltraute), Ruthild Engert-Ely (Schwertleite), Diane Kesling (Siegrune), Meredith Parsons (Grimgerde), Anne Wilkens (Roßweiße) Siegfried: Reiner Goldberg (Siegfried), Heinz Zednik (Mime), James Morris (Wanderer), Hildegard Behrens (Brünnhilde), Ekkehard Wlaschiha (Alberich), Kurt Moll (Fafner), Birgitta Svenden (Erda), Kathleen Battle (Stimme des Waldvogels) Götterdämmerung: Hildegard Behrens (Brünnhilde), Reiner Goldberg (Siegfried), Matti Salminen (Hagen), Ekkehard Wlaschiha (Alberich), Bernd Weikl (Gunther), Cheryl Studer (Gutrune), Hanna Schwarz (Waltraute), Hei-Kyung Hong (Woglinde), Diane Kesling (Wellgunde), Meredith Parsons (Flosshilde), Helga Dernesch (Erste Norn), Tatiana Troyanos (Zweite Norn), Andrea Gruber (Dritte Norn)
Metropolitan Opera Choir and Orchester, James Levine

Der fliegende Holländer

Recording: Berlin, 1991

Cheryl Studer (Senta), Bernd Weikl (Holländer), Der Plácido Domingo (Erik), Hans Sotin (Daland), Uta Priew (Mary), Peter Seiffert (Steuermann)
Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Giuseppe Sinopoli

Tannhäuser

Paris Version. Recording: London, 1989

Plácido Domingo (Tannhäuser), Cheryl Studer (Elisabeth), Andreas Schmidt (Wolfram von Eschenbach), Agnes Baltsa (Venus), Matti Salminen (Hermann, Landgraf von Thüringen), William Pell (Walther von der Vogelweide), Kurt Rydl (Biterolf), Clemens Bieber (Heinrich der Schreiber), Oskar Hillebrandt (Reinmar von Zweter), Barbara Bonney (Hirt)
Philharmonia Orchestra & Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Giuseppe Sinopoli

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Recording: Berlin 1976

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Hans Sachs)
Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Eugen Jochum

Tristan und Isolde

Recording:Dresden 1982

Margaret Price (Isolde), René Kollo (Tristan), Brigitte Fassbaender (Brangaene), Kurt Moll (Marke), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Kurwenal), Werner Goetz (Melot), Anton Dermota (Hirt), Wolfgang Hellmich (Steuerman), Eberhard Büchner (Stimme eines jungen Seemanns)
Dresdner Staatskapelle, Leipziger Rundfunkchor, Carlos Kleiber

Lohengrin

Recording: Vienna, 1986

Plácido Domingo (Lohengrin), Jessye Norman (Elsa), Eva Randová (Ortrud), Siegmund Nimsgern (Telramund), Hans Sotin (König Heinrich), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Der Heerrufer des Königs)

Wiener Philharmoniker, Wiener Staatsopernchor, Sir Georg Solti

Parsifal

Recording: Vienna 1971, 1972

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Amfortas), Hans Hotter (Titurel), Gottlob Frick (Gurnemanz), René Kollo (Parsifal), Zoltán Kelemen (Klingsor), Christa Ludwig (Kundry), Birgit Finnilä (Altsolo), Robert Tear (Gralsritter), Herbert Lackner (Gralsritter), Rotraud Hansmann (Knappe), Marga Schiml (Knappe), Heinz Zednik (Knappe), Ewald Aichberger (Knappe) & Lucia Popp, Alison Hargan, Anne Howells, Kiri Te Kanawa, Gillian Knight, Margarita Lilowa (Flowermaidens)
Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Sängerknaben & Wiener Philharmoniker, Sir Georg Solti

Rienzi

Recording: Dresden, 1974, 1976

Rene Kollo (Rienzi), Siv Wennberg (Irene), Nikolaus Hillebrand (Steffano), Janis Martin (Adriano), Theo Adam (Orsini), Siegfried Vogel (Raimondo), Ingeborg Springer (Ein Friedenbote), Peter Schreier (Baroncelli), Günter Leib (Cecco)
Rundfunkchor Leipzig, Chor der Staatsoper Dresden & Staatskapelle Dresden, Heinrich Hollreiser

Die Feen

Recording: BBC Northern, May 1976

Don Garrard (Feenkönig, Harald), April Cantelo (Ada), Della Jones (Farzana), Elizabeth Gale (Zemina), John Mitchinson (Arindal), Lorna Haywood (Lora), Tom McDonnell (Morald), Paul Hudson (Gernod), Teresa Cahill (Drolla), Richard Greager (Gunther) & Jolyon Dodgson (Bote)
BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra & BBC Northern Singers, Sir Edward Downes

Das Liebesverbot

Recording: London, May 1976

Raimund Herincx (Friedrich), Alexander Young (Luzio), Ian Caley (Claudio), Neil Jenkins (Antonio), William Elvin (Angelo), April Cantelo (Isabella), Ilse Wolf (Mariana), Lawrence Richard (Brighella), Leslie Fyson (Danieli), Elizabeth Gale (Dorella) & David Lennox (Ponce Pilate)
BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra & BBC Northern Singers, Sir Edward Downes