Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen album review – Luisi has a keen sense of the operatic architecture

Dallas Symphony Orchestra/Luisi/Lindstrom/Delavan /Johansson(Delos)Captured live in concert performances, Fabio Luisi’s clear-sighted command and strong orchestral playing make this Wagner set frequently impressive, with Mark Delavan an authorative Wotan Concert performances of opera can provide ideal conditions for live recordings. This ambitious release of Wagner’s Ring Cycle on 13 CDs, captured in 2024 with the Dallas Symphony under music director Fabio Luisi, is a fine example. The Italian maestro has a strong record, having stepped in at the Metropolitan Opera in 2011 when James Levine had to withdraw from Siegfried due to illness. With his clearheaded approach, a keen sense of Wagner’s operatic architecture, and a supple way with phrasing, he is perhaps the most compelling reason for acquiring this frequently impressive set. Of course, any Ring lives or dies on its singers, and no cast will ever be perfect. As Wotan, Mark Delavan’s voice carries the right authority, his characterisation intensifying as the work unfolds. Daniel Johansson is a lyrical Siegfried, never straining, even if he occasionally sounds uninvolved. As Brünnhilde, Lise Lindstrom’s soprano comes