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Free Streaming Recordings
Every week we offer 12 new titles available to stream for free
Compilation: Giangiacomo Guelfi
Guglielmo Tell, Lucia, Cavalleria, Tosca, Fanciulla, Carmen, Vespri, Attila, Trovatore, Aida & Nabucco
Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande
Brooks, Quilico, Jobin, Bible, Smith; Rudel. New York, 1970
Donizetti: La Favorita
Verrett, Kraus, Elvira, Morris, Hendricks; Queler. 1975
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Peters, Campora, Guarrera, Densen; Moresco. 1974
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte
M. Price, Burrows, Deutekom, Bryn-Jones, Ward, Robinson; Wisch. London, 1968
Spotlight: Emanuel List
From Our Collectors
Five-Star Reviews
Opera lovers share their discoveries from the catalogue.
Stack of Janowitz & Grists
“In general was what I expected - a variation of recording qualities - some very good. Service was exemplary - one mistake in sending - remedied in a flash. Couldn’t realistically ask for more.”
Brian Morgan
“This 1976 performance of "La fanciulla del West" (in very clear sound) is a record of the only time the great Anja Silja sang the rôle of the heroine, Minnie. The singing-actress seemed to always relish a new challenge, and--without the semblance of an Italianate voice--she triumphs in the part, and is absolutely unique in her portrayal.Róbert Ilosfalvy will be best remembered by collectors as the title rôle in Beverly Sills' 1969 studio recording of Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux." Sir Charles Mackerras conducts that set, as well as the performance under review, where he leads an exciting account of Puccini's opera set in the Wild West.”
Superb Performance!
“I agree totally with David McKee's views on this performance. One thinks one is hearing the opera for the first time. The text and vocal parts sound like they have been restudied for the occasion. Olivero shows exactly why she became such a cult figure with her detailed, fiery, yet vulnerable account of the eponymous heroine. She chooses to sing the famous "Quando? Il prezzo!" and makes it work. Her top notes are spot on, her "Vissi d'arte" a masterclass in phrasing and word coloring.Fernandi's voice hadn't lost the sheen it would shortly and he too sings beautifully. Colombo is a lighter voiced Scarpia than usual, but he colors and relishes the text with smarmy superiority (he made an excellent studio recording of this opera with Simona Dall'argine now available on the Preiser label).The supporting cast is every bit as good as the principals. Tieri is a fine conductor, leading with authority and spirit. The sound is very good.As filler, Andy gives us a fine selection of Butterfly highlights with Olivero that show how she responded with a live audience. That's also available on Opera Depot and well-worth the small financial investment.”
Great Performances
“Much has been written aboutCallas. However, very little has been said about Gino Penno Penno had one of the loudest voices if the mid twentieth century . With all his volume he knew how to phrase a tone,modulate his huge voice andidentify with the role portrayed. His career was much too short to be remembered by many opera lovers.”
John Stanton
“Victoria de Los Angeles and Franco Bonisolli are ideal here as the two main protagonists. She is a sensual and playful Manon. The individual beauty of the voice and a touch of girlishness make her portrayal particularly provocative. Bonisolli sings with a beguiling delicacy( the similarity to the young Di Stefano is uncanny). This role also requires a dramatic power and Bonisolli has that in spades and high notes to die for- which became part of his stock in trade. There is a beautiful diminuendo in his " Enfermant les yeux".The rest of the cast is a strong one with an imposing Comte from Pierre Sabignol.In very good sound this is a recording to treasure.”
One of the best Elektras on cd
“I saw this cast on tour in Birmingham and was completely overwhelmed by the quality and energy of the singing and the vivid characterisation in even the smallest of roles all of which comes across in the recording. Pauline Tinsley is phenomenal as Elektra and gives a truly magnificent account in both the big moments in the score but also full value to the more intimate encounters. Anne Evans is a strong and vibrant Chryostemis and Debria Brown an unhackneyed and powerful Klytemnestra. Sound is good throughout. Don't miss this!”
A RECORDING WORTH CROWING ABOUT = 4 stars
“Le Coq d'Or (The Golden Cockerel) is Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov's most familiar opera, but that doesn't make it anyway as familiar as, say, Verdi's Aida. Nevertheless, the work, designed as a mocking portrayal of Czar Nicholas II, is jam-packed with musical orientalisms (or what R-K may have conceived as orientalisms) and contains one of the all-time great coloratura soprano showpieces. “The Hymn to the Sun.“ In this English-language 1971 production of the N. Y. City Opera capably led by Julius Rudel, the star of the performance is unquestionably Beverly Sills who nails the stratospheric role of the Queen of Shemakha. As King Dodon , we have bass Norman Treigle, who is ok, but not as memorable as Boris Christoff on an Italian recording of a decade earlier. Enrico di Giuseppe as the Astrologer does as well as anybody in the vocally high-flying role. An essential for fans of the late, great, Ms. Sills.”
Kenneth Sherrill
“It takes a while to get used to Aida in German. Carmen in Italian is easy to listen to but this translation can sound grotesque. The amazing thing is that it doesn't matter. Rysanek, Madeira, London, and Frick give amazingly intense and committed performances. Madiera rips the place up in the Judgement Scene. Rysanek soars over the chorus and orchestra in the Triumphal Scene and then floats exquisite pianissimi in the Nile Scene and Tomb Scene. London is magisterial and Frick is amazing. Hopf not so good but not bad. Kubelik.s conducting is wonderfully dramatic and the orchestra plays beautifully.”
merci !
“Cher Andy, Je vous suis très reconnaissant de votre travail et des enregistrements que vous mettez à notre disposition. Egalement de ceux que vous nous offrez régulièrement. Mais je n'ai pas envie d'écrire sur tel ou tel enregistrement que j'ai acquis. Il m'arrive de n'écouter une acquisition que longtemps après, en général en organisant une comparaison sur un role ou une scène.Alors je ne réponds pas à vos demandes et je vous prie de m'en excuser. Merci de votre travail !”
Reinhold Föckersperger
“Ernst Kozub was one of the most important Heldentenors in the postwar aera, but he died prematurely. His voice was perfect for the interpretation of Tannhäuser! The live recording from Munich is therefore an important document. The other singers all are excellent, as it is usual in the Bavarian State Opera still today... Anja Silja sings the first scene and the duet of act two. Lindholm‘s Interpretation of Elisabeth‘s prayer in the third act is slightly overdramatic, the power of her voice is too great. The last words of Venus in my ears do not belong to Astrid Varnay as listed. It could be Marianne Schech? The voice sounds very different from Varnay‘s incomparable timbre.”
Der Rosenkavalier ENO 1975
“McDonall, Masterson and Barstow all superb and beautifully conducted by Mackerras in very good sound. It reminds one of what ENO was.... Also received Highlights from ROH 1954 (Fisher, Leigh and Shacklock) when they still sang in English though beautifully conducted by Kempe. Sadly it is recorded from the Prompt corner but if the rest of the performance exists I would buy it. Many thanks Neil Dalrymple”
Superb Performance in Excellent Sound!
“This performance differs from the previous year's broadcast by exchanging Veasey for Ludwig and with some different Walküren in the third act. Overall everyone sounds more at home than the previous year. Janowitz takes some chances that she didn't in 1967. In her Act 2 "Horch! Die Hörner!" monologue she follows Wagner's stage directions and laughs hysterically halfway through. Vickers sings the Zauberfest so beautifully I encored it. Both Crespin and Stewart are wonderful and both sound a little tired by the end, but who can blame them? Veasey is extremely good as Fricka and Talvela remains a frightening Hunding. The Valkyrie ensemble has a few ragged voices, yet also includes Phyllis Brill's dead-on Helmwige. Karajan paces everything very naturally and works well with his cast.The sound is mostly excellent, a few very brief moments of aging tape aside.”
Les Troyens, 1969
“A rarity, with Berlioz’s magnificent epic conducted by Colin Davis and sung by a distinguished cast. With the opera sung in the original French, but Janet Baker stepping into the role of Dido at short notice and singing in English, this is not a recording you will easily find. The rarity value excuses the sound quality which is typical of live recordings of the period (1969).”
One to treasure.....
“Wonderful to have this. A cliche, but it really is one of those recordings that makes you wish you had been there. If Act 1 seems a little on the slow side, Act 2 in particular shows Horenstein at his most dramatic, even at this very late stage. Among the voices, the Gurnemanz of Talvela has warmth as well as granite strength, while Shuard seems to have been caught at her very best: this is a Kundry who can sound genuinely seductive. Bailey's Klingsor is fiercely intelligent and massively authoritative - even with this acoustic, the quality of his diction is very clear. One or two of the Flower Maidens sound like off-duty Valkyries, but the minor parts seem generally well-taken.The sound of the recording is as described, and possibly taken from somewhere in the ROH stalls. On occasion the voices recede into the distance, but I doubt whether anyone interested in Horenstein or indeed the work as a whole should be at all deterred.”
Several serious flaws, but the good things about it are so damm good that I have to give five stars anyway.
“I don't usually rate a flawed recording five stars. But this one is an exception. (I own a CD of it.)The TWO serious flaws are: 1. As Andy said, Ludwig Hofmann falls flat trying to sing Wotan. He's not up to it. And 2. Act 2 and Act 3 are SEVERELY cut. MOST of the pivotal exchange between Brunhilde and Siegmund--where she tells him he's gonna lose and die, and he threatens suicide--is cut. This is unforgivable, an outrage. And it's just one of numerous infuriating cuts in these two acts. BUTExcept for Hofmann, the principal singers are UNBELIEVABLY FANTASTIC. Torsten Ralf is as heroic as anyone, but has a gorgeous, sweet timbre and impressive dramatic intelligence. He's my favorite Siegmund of all time. And the same can be said of Helene Werth as Sieglinde. Silky, gleaming tone, a little like Gundula Janowitz, but more HUMAN-sounding, and her voice (unlike Janowitz's) is actually large enough for the part, and she really inhabits the character. It's a shame that she recorded so few operas and is in danger of being forgotten. Herbert Alsen is outstanding as Hunding: formidable, and interesting. If an oak tree could sing, it would sound like him. So this is the best Act 1 I've ever heard. And, of course, GGP's Brunhilde is second-to-nobody, MUCH better than Birgit Nilsson in many ways: bigger, deeper voice (no fooling!), tight, rapid vibrato, and a unique burnished-steel timbre. So this cannot be your only WALKURE, but you need to have it.”
Mike Scott Rohan
“I heard Mackerras conduct all the other operas at one time or another, including the production premiere of Siegfried. I thought he was exceptionally good, vivid, plenty of weight but always more flexible and at the service of the scene than Goodall’s tempi allowed. A less distinctive vision, perhaps, so he was underrated; but his other Wagner work, including his Meistersinger DVD, confirms his standing. He also, of course, made an LP of Gotterdammerung excerpts with Remedios and Hunter, for CFP.Goodall’s tempi for his unfinished WNO Ring, incidentally, were much closer to Mackerras and indeed Solti.”
Great!
“Good stereo sound and dont mind the few dropouts, you should buy this! I have details of this production...Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera)Conducted by Karl BohmProduction - Palais GarnierMise en scene - August EverdingScénographie/Costumes - Andrzei MajewskiDates: 11-25 April 1975(4 performances)Birgit Nilsson (Elektra)Leonie Rysanek (Chrysothemis)Astrid Varnay (Klytemnestra)Richard Lewis (Aegisth)Hans Sotin (Orest)Jean-Louis Soumagnas (Tutor of Orest)Robert Dumé (A Young Servant)Fernand Dumont (An Old Servant)Hélia T'Hézan (Overseer)Jocelyne Taillon (First Maid)Anna Ringart (Second Maid)Francine Arrauzau (Third Maid)Hélène Garetti (Fouth Maid)Éliane Lublin (Fifth Maid)Maryse Acerra (Trainbearer of Klytemnestra)”
Charlie Edwards
“Pretty amazing how consistent Böhm is in Bayreuth 15 years after the Buenos Aires performances - his direction was always so intense and driven, the only caveat being thet the Todesverkündigung scene is too fast and perfunctory (1965). I wish there was more of the glorious Grob-Prandl - I've actually never heard anything to compare with her combination of athletic,tireless singing and warmth of expression - a cross between Nilsson and Flagstad! And any recording with Suthaus is worth hearing - such virility and tragic utterance. By the way it's definitely NOT Greindl as Hunding in Buenos Aires - doesn't even sound like a native German speaker. King, Rysanek and Nilsson in 1965 are pretty astonishing too.... though better known from the 1966/7 recordings - here it's a little more hectic and messy but pretty exciting. King is SO much better here than in Solti's studio-bound effort the same year.”
Exquisite Rake
“This is an exquisite performance of Stravinsky's rarefied opera, and the only one of many I've heard to make me fall in love with this score. Sanzogno's conducting is the key, flowing with classical grace that allows the emotion to emerge, as in bel canto, through vocal and musical values. The singing is also a marvel. Picchi sings superbly as Tom, and manages even to make him touching. Sciutti, whose narrow, sometimes hooty tone has always struck me as an acquired taste, is the best Anne I've heard, singing with precision but also revealing the depth and steadfastness. I'm a Rehfuss fan anyway, and he here sings beautifully, in dramatic contrast to his character's malevolence. Maybe best of all is Jolanda Gardino, super as Baba.”
peter jensen
“No doubt we are all over familiar with the studio version, a performance I always felt had a slightly stately approach despite the inner intensity and flow. this recording takes us into a very different space indeed, with an attack and spontaneity that grips you from the get go. What I really love is that ever growing malevolence in Hagens music, karajan loved his villians, the whiff of sulphur, the grand malevolent gestures and as the stakes intensify so does the singing and the playing, we are literally carried along (a rhine journey) that devolves into tragedy in a tangible way. The singing is a marvel, everyone is on best voice and the sound transports us into the theatre, maybe slightly limited but a natural and consistent acoustic so any sonic inadequacies are soon forgotten. Just let yourself be transported back to a magical night when the world's greatest orchestra with a superstar conductor collaborated to give us sheer excellence in the service of Richard Wagner.”
Stellar cast, great performance
“There are no weak spots in this cast, and the conducting of Herbert von Karajan is superb. The audio quality is very very good, although the occasional stage noises are a bit distracting.”
Jeffrey Kurnit
“A great performance by a cast of singers who could have been international stars if the Soviets had let them. Melik-Pashayev was a brilliant conductor whose work should be better known.”
Great singers, great conductor
“Wonderful performance ingeniously conducted by Karajan who shows us also the lyrical side of Wagner. The protagonists are all in top form. Vickers is phenomenal. He is the only tenor who can match with Melchior the greatest Wagner tenor for ever. He is able to show us all nuances of his role. Janowith as Sieglinde is not the conventional hysterics but a young woman in love. Talvela is terrific as Hunding. The big surprise for me was Crespin. She has not a true Wagner voice but she handles with her lighter voice extremly well. Stewart is excellent as Wotan and Ludwig adds the authentic Wagner style to the performance.I think it was the last minute when singers, conductor and orchestra were able to produce a performance such quality.”
Super!
“Loved this performance which fairly zips along. Wunderlich is, well, wunderlich and the rest of the cast keep up. Some listeners have been critical of the band, but they seem fine to me!”
A surprise
“I was attracted to this performance because of the presence of di Stefano and Price. They and Nilsson exceed my expectations: they possess three of the greatest post-war voices in opera and perform at their peak. What I was not expecting was the truly passionate conducting of Molinari-Pradelli. His EMI recording was hardly of the top-drawer (under-powered and routinely played), but given the occasion (live + voices + the VPO), he turns in a great performance, on a par with early Mehta (my previous benchmark). He paces perfectly and provides the necessary thrust that a successful Turandot demands. This is now among 2-3 great performances for mine.”
Zeani and Rossi-Lemeni are a Power Couple as Tatian and Onegin
“This is a treasure. Zeani pours her heart out as Tatiana and brought me to the edge of my aural seat. As a basso Onegin, Rossi-Lemeni is her equal, bringing just the right amount of haughtiness to his interpretation. Though sung in Italian, I did not find the translation a problem. Sanzogno's conducting is sensitive and keeps the action moving along.”
An ARIADNE to bring you sheer joy
“Sheer pleasure from beginning to end. Christa Ludwig resplendent throughout (in her one and only performance, all in the cast superb, Reri Grist a total delight, Jess Thomas still splendidly heroic. Sena Jurinac owns the Composer. The great Karl Bohm - THE conductor for Ariadne!”
Martin Ramor
“Grab it! All soloists are great. Gencer is incredible. She is dramatically convincing as usual. Her high notes are impressive and her singing is really beautiful. Not to mention her vocal stamina. Aragall is superb, nuanced, elegant Gennaro. Petri has (for me at least) a bit comically coloured voice, however he ist still excellent Don Alfonso. Rota is very good Orsini. Franci made a very vivid, lively performance with forces of Teatro di San Carlo, Napoli.”
Celine Papizewska
“Louis Quilico had one of the most sheerly beautiful baritones voices of all time, most evident in bel canto opera. Bellini wrote the most Romantic melody ever for baritone in “Ah, per sempre io ti perdei”, and Louis gives it all the dark, melancholy beauty at his considerable disposal. I used to study with him, and during lessons he would regularly overwhelm his students by demonstrating a technical point with phrases from Verdi. What a treat! If you could manage to find some of his performance in other bel canto operas, ie. Lucia di Lammermoor, and his magnificent Macbeth, as well as Falstaff, I would be in opera ecstasy.This Puritani vies with the Callas/Di Stefano as my favourite bel canto recording of all time.”
The real Wagner's spirit: A Jubilation!
“Fantastic! Wonderful ! Both subtle and so powerful!Full of life , freshness and artistic accuracy !Although Fiescher-Dieskau has not Hotter's voice; Crespin has not Nilsson's one,of course! It doesn't matter here: All singers are so great artists ( and Talvella , Thomas, Ludwig, Ridderbusch etcetera have so magnificent voices!)Karajan is the best ; far ahead of any Solti , ahead of Bohm, even ahead of Knappertsbusch.For me this live Ring is the best ever recorded !!!”
Kevin Dunn
“Knappertsbusch's last year at Bayreuth, and this is a really exceptional recording. Vickers is a great Parsifal and Ericson (whom I'd never heard before) a gorgeously seductive Kundry. The other principals will be familiar from other Bayreuth recordings of the period, and all are on good form.”
Beautiful
“Exciting, excellent recording of a provocatively fast-paced, dramatic performance. Among the principals, only Calio is ordinary, the others are all stellar, and Schröder-Feinen’s amazing Kundry by itself is worth the price of admission.”
A LITTLE (ABRIDGED) GEM!
“If you are looking forward to luxuriating in hours of note-complete opera seria, this highly abridged concert performance is not for you. What does impress is that in 1957, a cast of American artists and orchestral musicians was assembled to perform Rossini as to the manner born. Each contributes to a musically graceful, dramatically sophisticated whole. The crown jewels are Farrell’s Willow Song and the enchanting Desdemona/Emilia duet in Act 1. Sadly absent is Rodrigo’s aria, which Rossini later repurposed for his “Cat Duet”. Sound good.”
Superb Performance - Terrible Sound
“Performance (with some cuts) is absolutely riveting. The sound, however, even for those days, is absolutely execrable. One has to listen through its deficiencies to really appreciate this great performance.Opera Depot doesn't tell you about the cuts until AFTER you've bought this set. The poor sound quality is a known given due to the fact so many of these pirate recordings have totally variable sound quality.But be warned on this one.Steve”
Fabulous Meistersinger from Bayreuth
“I ordered this set purely because of Norman Bailey but I wasn't expecting such a wonderful performance as this. Hans Wallat, a conductor I had never come across before, gives an excellent account of the score. Everything feels just "right" and the sound is fabulous, just like sitting in the front row of the stalls in the "Festspielhaus" (I imagine). Janis Martin is a beautiful Eva; Jean Cox a youthful sounding Walther; and Norman Bailey a noble, warm hearted Sachs. Thomas Hemsley plays Beckmesser "straight" - no funny voices or comedy slapstick - and is very effective. His scene in Act 3 with Sachs plays entirely off the words and is all the more amusing for it. The orchestra is magnificent. There is some radio interference from other broadcasting channels in a few brief places, but that hardly matters when the performance is as good as this one. And a big bonus for me was that Act 1 fits complete on the first CD! Many thanks. I'm looking forward to listening to the 1970 Ring now...”
The “Aida” to return to beyond all others
“I often return to this fabulous performance and marvel at my luck; I was seventeen when I saw this revival. Mignon Dunn, good, was replacing Christa Ludwig at short notice (at my performance Amneris was the woefully overparted Ann Howard). But the reasons I revisit this performance are Charles Mackerras, Gilda Cruz-Romo, Carlo Bergonzi (and Kiri Te Kanawa). You have only to listen to the pointing of the wind playing in the dances to realise the special, Toscaninian, detail that Mackerras brought to the score; and the power he elicits from strings and brass in later scenes is superlative. (His 1974 “Otello” with Cossutta, Te Kanawa, and Cappucilli was also classic.) Cruz-Romo and Bergonzi also sang “Forza” (1975) and “Ballo” together at Covent Garden: I find her like a superior Tebaldi here and remain amazed the recording companies did not pursue her. The final scene with Bergonzi is, just as I remember, sublime, even when you compare it to other illustrious couples on record. Bergonzi, a terrible physical actor, is at his vocal and expressive peak here; the ending of Act Three - so firm! - remains beautiful, heroic, thrilling. Mackerras’s effect on the whole cast is wonderful: I remember a queeny regular exclaiming grandly (and correctly) “Gwynne Howell’s singing like a GOD; and Forbes Robinson’s singing as I’ve NEVER heard him sing BEFORE.” The young Te Kanawa was already a name, and the lustre of her voice as the Priestess remains incomparably beautiful here.”
Ken Caswell
“This a truly superb recording. All the principals are terrific. Wonderful to hear Te Kanawa and Burrows in such deliciously sensual and romantic form.The recording quality is also excellent giving us a real feeling of being there. I shall play this set over and over again.”
Never better!
“This is truly an exceptional performance of Il Trovatore. All principals are firing on all cylinders singing signature roles of their respective careers. I have been listening to this opera for over 50 years yet this recently acquired addition to my library has rekindled all the excitement for this piece that one has upon first discovering it. If you are a "Trovatore" fan you must hear Bergonzi, Price, Cossotto and Cappuccilli at their best by savoring the fire in this performance. Bravi tutti!”
Daniel Zara
“Everything The Man says –above–is true. But Treptow is even better than advertised. Possibly the Best of all more-or-less-contemporary recorded Siegfrieds. He even renders listenable those ordinarily annoying, yawn inducing, and attenuated wimp maunderings about his lost “mutti”.”
Louis Newton
“This Lucia was the one which came to Dallas later in the same year when Callas gave what was, I think, her last series of her Lucia. (In turn, Dallas traded its Medea/Minotis production for this Covent Garden Lucia.) As you say, it was magical, like a Rembrandt come to life, all misty, shadowed lavenders in the outdoors portions and, inside, warm dark gold chiaroscuro. It was one of the most beautiful and atmospheric productions I’ve ever seen, even to this day. I saw the same production, years later, at Covent Garden with June Anderson as Lucia. The Lighting Director should have had unspeakable things done to his person. The lighting was glaring, flat, one-dimensional; the sets were barely recognizable – but they were indeed the same ones from that wonderful 1959 season. Never underestimate the genius of good lighting!”
richard inverne
“The 1976 performance would appear to be with the excellent Geoffrey Parsons at Fishmongers' Hall, London on 16th March 1976.The pianist in the 1947 version is HEINZ SCHROTER (not 'Hans Schorter'), a composer as well as pianist and -on the strength of this performance- a sensitive, contributory accompanist.Comparisons are fascinating for all the obvious reasons. 1947 HAS to "win" because Hotter's voice is simply astonishing and the interpretation is well on the way to what he would achieve in the mid-'50s with Gerald Moore.”
A perfect Rosenkavalier
“Who could conduct this work better than divine Carlos Kleiber?!And when Gwyneth Jones is with him, I am simply in heaven because her then wonderful voice goes perfectly with Kleiber - as well as the also absolutely outstanding Fassbaender and Popp. I also love Ridderbush with his beautiful voice very much. Finally one who sings that role!”
Tremendous Ring Cycle
“What a great performance this is in every way. It was Wolfgang Wagner's second production of the Ring and I think much underrated. He was always in the shadow of his brother Wieland and like you I have always enjoyed the classic Bohm recording from 1966/67. This recording however and the one from the following year with Ligendza as Brunnhilde are fast becoming favourites of mine. I remember seeing *** and Lindholm in the Friedrich Ring Cycle at Covent Garden in the late seventies and they were great there but here they are tireless and in much fresher voices. It's also wonderful to have Thomas Stewart in a complete performance as Wotan. I have always appreciated him in the Karajan recording but he doesn't appear in the Rheingold and he is much better here caught live. It's great to also have Gwyneth Jones as Sieglinde and Norman Bailey as Gunther. Being British and a regular visitor to ENO and the Royal Opera House I grew up with them as Brunnhilde and Wotan. Horst Stein has always been one of my favourite Bayreuth conductors much underrated at the time. Now this era seems like golden age of Wagner singing the likes of which we rarely hear today. There doesn't appear to be a weak link in this cast. As I said a tremendous performance and I highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed, I promise.”
Valuable record of historic performance
“I was delighted to find this release of the original Bayreuth centenary performance. Jones is thrilling, in better form than in the 1980 commercial release. It's also great to have Yvonne Minton's beautifully sung Waltraute - a role she didn't record commercially. I'm a fan of Karl Ridderbusch, although I find his Hagen a bit polite compared with some of the classic, villainous portrayals such as Salminen's or Frick's.Sound is very good - clear and spacious, successfully conveying the Festspielhaus acoustic. There is some tape hiss, but one acclimatises quickly and it doesn't impair enjoyment. Inevitably the Bayreuth prompter is much in evidence.”
A Nilsson, you mustn´t miss ...
“... and there is not so much to add to this recording, it´s just one of the greatest (ever) sopranos in an exceptionally good performance ... and Ulfung adds sth like "another" - let´s say: nuanced - aspect to the role her Mario. I really love this rendition since I recorded it in 2018 from a broadcast of P2, Swedish radio, for Nilsson´s sake in the first place and for Saeden´s part as Scarpia, which leads to one of the best 2nd acts.Get it, where you can, preferably here at OperaDepot :-) and while you can, before it vanishes again in the void of highly praised and hard to get rarities.”
The incomparable Leonie Rysanek
“I was blown away by the beauty and expressivity of Leonie Rysanek as Salome.She was in a class by herself, I heard her in person at Seattle Opera in the Summer of 1987, when she sang Sieglinde in Die Walkure, in that year's Wagner Ring presentation. The audience responded rapturously to her singing, giving her a much deserved ovation at the end of the performance. Her voice had an ecstatic quality that night. I think she found great joy in her singing. And we who were fortunate to hear her in person have never forgotten her inimitable presence and quality.This Salome is quite a find, I have never heard a Salome sung with such expressivity and vocal power also.The sound is quite good in this performance by the way and likely stereo; definitely recommend this live recording of Salome. Jon Vickers as Herod is luxury casting to boot.(This is a repost of my first review, with corrections.)”
Perhaps my favorite Tristan
“This is, I believe, my favorite recording of Tristan. The music washes over you in the prelude; the lines are beautifully sculpted. This is a very dramatic orchestra. Ligendza is fully captivating as Isolde. Really a wonderful cast all around.”
MUCH MORE THAN JUST A STRATAS-PHERIC ARIADNE
“On all accounts, this is an extraordinary ARIADNE! To begin with, standing in the center of it is JOSEPH KEILBERTH. He knows where this music is coming from and where it is going, as does his fabulous orchestra of soloists. Nothing is static. The music breathes, expands and contracts at the flick of a finger, a drop of his hand, or a raised eyebrow! His cast is a willing and thrilling one. They are not merely along for the ride, they are the roller coaster, KEILBERTH the track upon which it races along. TERESA STRATAS is Teresa Stratas. She offers everything that one could desire. A soprano, which I prefer in this part, stands to deliver all the big moments with opulence, ease, while losing nothing in the dramatic process. Hers is a without parallel in conveying a young, desperate composer. INGRID BJONER needs no introduction, she was one of the great Hoch Dramatic Sopranos of her generation. The middle can be a bit foggy, but the bottom astonishes and the top blossoms. The delivery is one of total commitment to the word and emotion. The surprise is SYLVIA GESZTY! How wonderful to have full voiced Zerbinetta! The fatter the voice the more opportunities for vocal color. Too often the “Zerbinetta sound” can be annoying or cloying, not here. The Geszty voice is just too beautiful a sound and she never sacrifices the beauty of sound for dynamic or “clicky” fioritura. AND she almost achieves the SUTHERLAND trill! An absolute joy to listen that aria! And when it’s over, trust me, you’ll probably want to listen to it again! The small parts are all more than ably taken by names totally unknown to me, except IRA MALANIUK as Dryade, who does an excellent job anchoring the ladies’ trio throughout. This leaves only ARTURO SERGEI as Bacchus. And to that I say, “Why do I not know who Mr. Sergei is, or was?” I’ve read he was a cover artist at the MET, and sang lots of different roles. Here he delivers the goods as well as I’ve heard them delivered. The voice can get a bit dry and leathery here and there, but in general, it’s a fine, well-schooled vocal instrument, capable of some very exciting sounds and extraordinary nuances, which one doesn’t usually associate with this role. In the end, a tremendously satisfying performance with excellent period sound, voices up front and the orchestra recessed, throughout. The correct performance date is May 20, 1965. Purchased on sale - WHAT A DEAL! Thank you for making it available!”
