Word of Wagner

Without being a written tradition, we note that in the last century and a bit, there has been a certain inclination to take the word away from Wagner. The pretext is fantastic: with Wagner being essentially a symphonic composer, surely his music holds if we remove the text.

The orchestra conductor Hermann Zumpe, who helped Wagner prepare the staging of his Ring, was the first to eliminate the voices and elaborate strictly orchestral arrangements. In 1912, Leopold Stokowski placed his Wagner without words on the music stands of The Philadelphia Orchestra. However, it is the instrumental synthesis by Lorin Maazel which has enjoyed the most fame, to the point of creating successors.

The Ring of the Nibelung in an hour and without words. Not even die-hard Wagnerian purists will scowl if the work is performed by one of the most virtuoso orchestras of our days, musicAeterna, led by Teodor Currentzis. This is because his presence is a guarantee of precision, a richness of sound, brilliance and expression; all essential trademarks of the maestro. Furthermore, as the audience of the Teatro de la Maestranza experienced during the 23-24 season in an unforgettable Mozart Requiem, there will be no end to the depth, emption and drama of the performance. Everything that is Wagner. Except the words.

Programme
Richard Wagner, The Ring without Words, op.45 (1987, arr. Lorin Maazel)