Wagner: Die Walkure – Prelude to Act II – “Nun zäume dein Ross, reisige Maid!”

Comment: While there are many famous tunes to come out of the opera Die Walkure, the second opera in Wagner’s four-ring cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen, such as the Ride of the Valkyries, Leb wohl, and the Magic Fire Music, I especially like the Prelude to Act II. And I don’t like it because of the way it fits into the opera or because of some underlying meaning in the story. Rather, this except is a masterful example of Wagner’s talent of seamlessly blending transitioning and transitioning from one music theme to another. It also doesn’t hurt that this Prelude contains the Valkyries motif with the addition of tympanies. There are multiple recordings available on YouTube, but I’ve picked one stands out for it’s music and the body language of the conductor.

In terms of a preferred recording I’ll just say that there is no “best ring cycle recording”. The debate over the “best” ring cycle has gone on and will go on for a long time. That being said, for this Prelude, I like the Bohm Valkure. And while I am a fan of many aspects of Levine Ring (Salminen as Hagen being one of them), I feel that this particular prelude is played too quickly, and many of the subtleties of the almost surgical transitions are lost in with the speed.

Recommended Recording:
Normally I’d recommend a single recording of the opera — but in this case I’m going to recommend a boxed set. This boxed set below is a collection of some of the finest recordings of Wagner operas ever performed at the Bayreuth (minus the Meistersinger and Parsifal recordings though I do like parts of the Meistersinger), and includes not only a phenomenal Tannhauser and Loehgrin, but also contains a defining recording of Tristan. Oh, and did I mention that the set also includes a complete Bohm Ring? So for the price, this set cannot be beat, and is a worthy addition to any classical music lover’s collection, and is a great adjunct or introduction to a Wagner library.