Ring in a Day

Do BBC Radio 3 is to play the whole of Wagner's Ring in a single day (reported here on the BBC Website). They are going to devote their Easter Monday schedule to broadcasting Daniel Barenboim's Bayreuth recording made in the 1990's. It will be a remarkable challenge, to listen to the whole of the Ring at once sitting, but it makes a great deal of sense of the medium of Radio. We lack the stamina to listen to the entire Ring in the theatre in one day (to say nothing of the stamina that would be required from the musicians), but listening at home we stand something of a chance. And the ability to hear the whole music drama build continuously is not to be sneezed at.

The recording being used is the one that I reviewed for Music and Vision and it stood up rather well to being listened to continuously by me on my headphones. Besides Barenboim's wonderful way with the Bayreuth Orchestra it includes a remarkable collection of Anglophone singers; John Tomlinson, Graham Clark (in 2 roles), Linda Finnie, Anne Evans. My review is here.