Vicar’s delight
“To Kettles Yard in Cambridge for the premiere of a new song cycle by Richard Baker, performed by baritone Christopher Purves and pianist Andrew West. Having started off in Harvey and the Wallbangers, Purves is now a rising British operatic star: he will sing Beckmesser at Welsh National Opera alongside Bryn Terfel in Die Meistersinger this summer and, he told me, will make his La Scala debut in Peter Grimes in a couple of years. One day this man will make a wonderful Wotan.” [The Guardian]
I was unaware Walter Berry ever did the RHEINGOLD Wotan. He did WALKüRE briefly, at Salzburg and the MET for Karajan. I was at the MET the night he surrendured the role after act two. He was a terrific Alberich years later at San Francisco.
A couple of modifications to the discussion:
Weikl only did Beckmesser for the Decca recording.
Melchior recorded all of Walther’s arias and the quintet, and sang them in concert, but he never did a complete performance of the role.
I second the cheers for Hammond-Stroud, who was a dandy Beckmesser and Alberich. Thomas Hemsley was also fine as Beckmesser, and did the role at Bayreuth for about 5 seasons in the late ’60s and early ’70s.
Why harry – you have been busy!!
I wonder if your pathological hatred of anything British (that also leaks through to the Australian “establishment”) has anything to do with your ancestory and the British convict resettlement programme? Check your ankles for shackle marks dear…never know what you might find 
Ruxton, I have a theory that Harry comes from mainland Europe. Possibly Scandinavia. He writes English like a Danish friend of mine.
I would have replied to this earlier; but unfortunately I’ve had real troubles getting back across London due to the overabundance of singing chimney sweeps out on the street. Gaaawd bless ewe Mayery Pawpins!….
Good point Monty! Your Danish friend isn’t in an institution as well (by any chance) is he?
Tra-la-la-la-la-la-la-la … coupe-moi, brule-moi, je ne te dirai rien, cher Ruxton!
Such a useful quote.
Yeah, but one should be rather careful with using it
; remember what sequence of events it started? (Seems like I begin to specialize in reminding of unpleasant endings 
)
Haha. Good thing I usually play the quote in my head when in mixed company.
… or Oscar’s “Non dico niente.”
“Oscar lo sa’….Ma non l’dira…”