Schönberg - Gurre-Lieder - Heppner, Meier, Schulte, Voigt - Levine 20012CDs - DDD - 63'43, 52'06
Oehms 2004
Performer: Ben Heppner, Deborah Voigt, Waltraud Meier, Matthew Polenzani, Eike Wilm Schulte, Ernst Haefliger;
Orch.: Philharmonischer Chor München, Herrenchor der Bamberger Symphoniker, Münchner Philharmoniker
Cond.: James Levine
Then the soloists. Heppner is wonderfully heroic, ardent, but always lyrical. No barking, here. Definitely the most satisfying Waldemar I've heard. Deborah Voigt's Tove surpasses the work she did under Sinopoli. Her sound is more golden, more womanly and how she nails that final "kuss"! It shouldn't sound so easy but it does! Waltraud Meier simply astounds. I prefer Tatyana Troyanos's voice in the Ozawa set but few can come close to Meier in terms of creating a sense of drama through the music, and in communicating the inner meaning of text. If only they could get this trio to do Walkure! --Amazon customer
Listen to the examples at Amazon
