Yondani Butt continues his series of romantic symphonic music on Nimbus with this excellent Wagner disc that groups together some of the finest "bleeding chunks" from that composer's massive opus of operas. Butt is a rather fine Wagner conductor with a penchant for the strong symphonic line especially in works such as Tannhäuser and Siegfried's Rhine Journey which fairly leap from the page.
I greatly enjoyed the Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan which is perhaps the finest item on disc although Butt has to yield to other luminaries such as Furtwängler and Karajan in this fantastic work. The Ring excerpts are also instructive especially the Entry of the Gods into Valhalla, one of my truly favourite pieces.
Nimbus provide some excellent notes to accompany the disc and those who want a refreshing update to their Wagner bleeding chunks discs could do well to invest in this one.
Copyright © 2012, Gerald Fenech