Music

By Michael Walsh.

First broadcast on four consecutive evenings in June 1990, the Metropolitan Opera's RING OF THE NIBELUNG was a high-toned TV spectacular that swept up viewers in the passion and power of Wagner's masterpiece. Now Deutsche Grammophon has released the complete home-video version, on both VHS and Laserdisc, as well as a new recording of Siegfried, the final installment of conductor James Levine's separate CD Ring. With largely the same star cast, including Hildegard Behrens as Brunnhilde and James Morris as Wotan (Reiner Goldberg sings the role of Siegfried on the CD, while Siegfried Jerusalem plays Wagner's hero on the video), the twin projects stand or fall on Levine's contribution, and the Met's longtime music director rises to the occasion. Levine views the Ring through a glass, darkly; the music broods and ruminates, heading inexorably (but sometimes oh so slowly!) toward its literally earth- shattering conclusion. The video is subtitled so that viewers can easily follow the often labyrinthine plot. Is it too much to ask that the Met use supertitles in real life? M.W.