As much as I appreciate the introduction and how to purchase the book, I would also be interested in finding out where I can find that recording of Stephan singing the gospel piece that ended the presentation.

What a title.

WTF are you doing? Disgusting. You hate Wagner’s legacy with this nonsense

R I P Stephan Gould

Dear sir, thank you for your talk. Out of curiosity I googled Wallace Harrison Johnson and Lou Davis Elizabeth - and did not find muck useful information. Their significant roles are not mentioned in a google.

How intelligent, how highly professional, how well expressed - in a (for him) foreign language - how mature was the (then still quite young) artist in this interview.. pure joy to listen to - my deepest respect for Jonas Kaufmann, growing ever since... ❤😊❤

Fascinating! Heard Clay do Tannhauser with the DOB in Edinburgh last year. Thank you for uploading this.

Interesting, and informative, the way the other panellists react (usually silently agreeing, which reinforces the speaker's point) while one of them is speaking. Ensemble playing in the pit, ensemble speaking during the conversation.

For me, it’s ironic that I revere almost all of the other Wagner operas, some more, some less. But I’ve never cottoned onto Meistersinger, despite seeing it onstage a few times. It’s the same feeling I get about Verdi and Falstaff, and Puccini and Turandot - I just don’t get the message. Maybe when I get older - oops, I’m already older!

Fascinating! Many years ago, I dated a Met instrumentalist, and I asked her if it was a relief to play, for example, Boheme, after a run of Elektra. To my surprise, she said, don’t be fooled, Puccini is very hard too. It just sounds deceptively easy.

Fascinating! I was intrigued by the question about Elisabeth and Venus. Nilsson, of course, sang both roles brilliantly. However, in my opinion, she didn’t differentiate between the two, and it sounded like she was singing one long role. Jones, who was still in prime condition for her film, presented two completely different characters. It was almost hard to believe it was the same singer.

I heard him sing Tristan at Covent Garden in 2014. Sir John Tomlinson, Graham Clarke and Nina Stemme were also in the cast. What a voice!

Thank you WSNY for sharing this intriguing and insightful discussion on Tannhauser and perspectives from different Met orchestra musicians. It was a delight to hear from those that bring Wagner’s music to life!

Love the Wesendoncklieder. They have music of Tristan und Isolde inside themselves.

Love this! Thanks, Issachah, Clay, and Scott!

HI, is there any Invisible City of Kitezh with subtitles?

Okay, now i am binge watching Mr Swann's lectures. What a rare combination of deep, deep knowledge and ease of delivery.

What an insightful, inspired lecture. Mr Swann is a gem, thank you WSNY for posting.

I attended a talk he gave to the London Wagner Society in I think, 2018. Besides being a real Heldentenor he is very interesting and thoroughly likeable gentleman with a lively sense of humour, who at the end of the meeting, stayed for a sandwich and glass of wine, and was willing to speak one-to-one with anyone. He was clearly amused when I told him of a critic - Andrew Porter? - wrote that his high C in Gotterdammerung could have sent Mario del Monaco running for cover!

12:40

RIP 😢

Rest in peace, Stephen. A terrible loss to the opera world.

May he rests in peace.😢

Rest in Peace 😢

after nearly falling over at hearing his playing of the section from the Parsival Overture I was wondering what the audience in attendance was going to do in reaction. I mean, you have to say something.

At least a grand piano

This was great, thanks so much for posting it. And what a treat to get to hear Maestro Swann's very own, "Very Homemade Transcription" (as he delightfully put it), of the duet from Wagner's Tristan!

I saw this Lohengrin at the Met Opera. It was thrilling to be in the theater again. The singers, sets, costumes, everything was great.

What's with the pathogenic masks in March 2023? Or any time. Nuts to that! I expect more intelligence from musicians!

After Pavarotti died it took a long time to find my way back to opera, lieder, etc...backdoored through Jaroussky's exquisite Stabat Mater...and suddenly there was an ad for the Metropolitan Opera...with ... the extraordinary, outstanding, Peter Mattei! What a lovely personality...sweet man, such eloquent performances. Robert Sweeney seemed to focus mainly on Michelle and skip past Peter...

Thank you for uploading this. I saw the Live in HD broadcast in the theater the day before this was recorded and enjoyed it immensely. I have one question, though, that I would have liked to pose to Mr. Groissbock. When I saw Mr. Groissbock portray Hunding in the last Met's production of Die Walkure, I loved his portrayal of that character because he sang the part with a "scowl." At the time I thought that was a beautiful characterization of Hunding. But then in this production of Lohengrin, he sings with that same kind of scowl. Why? I have always viewed King Heinrich as a sympathetic character, and I thought that that was the way Mr. Groissbock was trying to portray him.

32:26 "Rationing your emotional energy." That single phrase exemplifies why I can love listening to Wagner's music but can never actually play it on my instrument. I get too easily swept away in the moment-by-moment feeling. I know as a musician it takes a lot of discipline to be able to muscle through that.

Thank you for posting this. As someone who is on the other side of the continent I feel lucky to be able able to listen in.

wonderful lecture！thank you

Schön, dass es solche Menschen wie Herrn Swann gibt!

Listen to the singing of KIRSTEN FLAGSTAD, sheer brilliance, no covering of tones.

Loved this lecture. I think the prelude to Lohengrin is the most beautiful piece of music ever. If it were possible to put a prayer to music, this is the epitome. Have to wonder if the knowledge of the lecturer adds to or detracts from an appreciation of Wagner when listening to his music. It is such an emotional experience for someone not well versed in music - simply transcendent for me.

Die grosse Meisterschaft Wagner zu singen , Sopran oder Tenor, ist mit Volumen und Kraft, ohne zu kteischen etc, ein piano im noch mit Kraft, ein piano bei Wagner ist wie woanders krin Stimmausruhmoment Dann im forte auf 2 Noten ein decrecendo mit folgenden crecendo zu singen Das macht es so scheierig zu dinhen und dann noch bei den langen Werken fast 5h Das konnte Flagdtad, Götterdämmerung Finale

This is why she is such a brilliant performer.

It's not Calaf 💀⚰️

1:35 finnegans wake by joyce maybe?

I had the distinct displeasure of getting to know Helena Brown personally. She may a pretty voice (debatable - I've certainly heard better), but that woman is ugly straight from head to toe! I met her on the "Just-A-Baby" app, where we were both seeking a platonic co-parent (yes, that is a thing now). When I found out what she did for a living, I expected that I might have a diva on my hands. But what I got was a primadonna psychopath! That woman is straight evil! She's racist, hate-filled, judgmental and about the most conceited human being on the planet! If you're not a person of color, don't pay your hard-earned money to be entertained by someone who hates you. Why do that? Go see Chicago or The Lion King instead. Also, on the phone, she sounds more like a Lawrence Taylor than a Helena Brown!

The fellow singing Siegmund has no vocal problems, he says. Yes, and that judgment is why operatic singing is a dead art.

Can anybody here explain why Wagner was wrong? Sincerely, I’m just curious

Music first, theatre second!!?? I think the Meister might have something to say about that. 🤔

YAY!

Few conductors can better explain the deepest insights of an opera like Pappano does. The other one I can think of is Mark Elder as I went to SF Opera to see his Meistersinger in 2015.

Lilliputians shaking their fingers at the giant.

So good seeing these two wonderful artists in a normal, down-to-earth friendly conversation. :) Thank you!

Thx for posting this!