News from the Wagner Society

For more information:

Tom Arthur, 202.944.3686 (press)

Aurelius Fernandez, 301.907.2600 (other)

Wagner Night at the Movies

WASHINGTON, D.C., OCTOBER 2003 –––– The Wagner Society of Washington, D.C. announces a screening of excerpts from two classic Wagner films followed by a moderated discussion on Thursday, November 13, 2003, at 7:30 P.M. The screening will take place at the George Washington University, Funger Hall, 2201 G Street, N.W. in Washington, D.C. The event is open to the public. Admission is free.

The Golden Ring -- The Making of Solti’s Ring. In 1965, the Vienna Philharmonic, Sir Georg Solti, and a stellar cast of singers recorded Götterdämmerung, the conclusion of the first-ever complete recording of Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung that was begun in 1958. For this now-classic documentary film, The Golden Ring, the filmmakers were allowed to eavesdrop as record producer John Culshaw led his production team through challenges far removed from the ease of modern digital editing. Singing giants of the Twentieth Century --Birgit Nilsson, Wolfgang Windgassen, Gottlob Frick, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and others-- brought unusually brilliant artistry to the project. Maestro Solti showed his usual energy and exactitude throughout. The film appeals both to opera lovers and film fans alike. It provides brilliant entertainment as well as lessons about working under pressure to accomplish something that had not been tried before. The experience has also been documented in John Culshaw’s fascinating book about the project, Ring Resounding.

Anna Russell – The (First) Farewell Concert. To end a long and hilarious career, comedienne Anna Russell revived some of her best routines and took them on the road. The (First) Farewell Concert was taped in Baltimore in 1984. It highlights the late Anna Russell singing alto, soprano, tenor, and bass in her surprisingly accurate, half-hour send-up of The Ring of the Nibelung, told with careful attention to some of its most apparent absurdities.

Phillip W. Raines, opera reviewer and member of the Wagner Society’s Board of Directors, will moderate a discussion of the films after the screening.

The Wagner Society of Washington, D.C. is a private, non-profit organization for the study and enjoyment of Wagner's art. Its series of lectures, the Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart Emerging Singers Program, and social events will continue through June 2004. Many programs are free to the public.

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The Wagner Society of Washington, D.C.

P.O. Box 33051, Washington, D.C. 20033

Telephone 301.907.2600 - Facsimile 301.907.8671 - www.wagner-dc.org