To all the Wagner-by-James-Levine- fans (and other really slow guys).....
(I like Levine although not really for his Wagner - the longest ring in
Bayreuths history....) It is a fact that Wagner performances got slower
and slower after his death.  Maybe this has to do with the German need
for pathos at that time....  read Nietzsche....But also Wagner himself
complained about his works being performed too slowly.  In his book "On
Conducting" Wagner i.e.  points out -concerning the Meistersinger Prelude
that by "sehr maessig" he means "allegro maestoso", "a true animated
Allegro with four vigorous crochets in each bar, soon turning to a sweeping
alla breve with two beats per bar, but he also insists that when he
conducted it, he took "a few seconds over eight(!) minutes" - (Roger
Norrington in the booklet of his Wagner-CD EMI 5 55479-2).  There is a lot
more examples for playing Wagner given in this excellent booklet (and
recording).  Of course people who are used to the "grandiose" tradition
(which does not go back to Wagner himself) find it hard to accept
Norrington or Boulez.  But then again I think the only thing that matters
in liking a certain way of interpretation is that one is simply used to it.
If Norrington in a year would say "oops, Ive been wrong, the ...ouverture
is supposed to be ...long, I just found it out from..." Id be glad to hear
it.  I think flexibility is of great importance.  (I know of course that
some people don't give a small animals behind how a composition aas
actually played at the time (I know of course it is not possible to know
everything, yes....) and they of course have every right to that option
(how couldnt they..).  so: Please discuss under my "Praemisse" - otherwise
it is futile...Period performances is a whole new ballgame....if you do not
even accept the rules....enjoy your Bernstein, Karajan, Giulini, whatever
- we could discuss the rules some other time)

Parsifal....the long and windling road....not with Pierre Boulez!  he has
a firm grip on the score and it is to me by no means boring like Levines.
This "celebration" may be something for Wagnerianer (the term makes me get
suspicious...) but for "normal" music lovers it might be frightening - and
perhaps their musical "intuition" is right.  Years ago I simply found the
Eroica boring (having heard Giulinis and Abbados i.e.).  Then Norrington,
Gardiner, and others came up with theirs and I was completely "done for".
Ive played these recordings to some of my not-so-into-classical-music
friends and borrowed a Giulini recording for them to compare.  (did the
same with Mozart-Gardiner vs.  Boehm).  Everybody said that they preferred
the period performance because they were much more vivid.

Id like to talk about Wagner and Nietzsche (whose works I really
appreciate).  Recently I heard thatafter Parsifal Wagner said that even
hee knew that the romantic style had come to an end and that the now
appropriate music would be lighter, swifter...

James Zehm <[log in to unmask]>