Here are the items that we found.
Featured Artist
Sylvia Fisher
This week, I came across a fascinating series of recordings featuring the great Australian soprano Sylvia Fisher.
Fisher was beloved for her gleaming, silvery soprano, ideally suited to the demands of Richard Wagner, as well as for the clarity of diction that made her an ideal proponent of Britten’s operas, particularly in the title role of Gloriana. Her recorded legacy is comparatively limited, making surviving broadcasts and live performances especially valuable documents of an important dramatic soprano.
Sylvia Fisher
New Titles Added
120 New "Coming Soon" Titles
I have added 120 new titles to our “Coming Soon” collection, including several recordings that have never been available before.
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Free Streaming Recordings
Every week we offer 12 new titles available to stream for free
Beethoven: Leonore (In English)
Tinsley, Beresford, Bailey, Garrard; Mackerras. London, 1970
Bellini: Norma
Caballé, Vickers, Veasey, Ferrin; Patanè. Orange, 1974
Donizetti: Anna Bolena
Cruz-Romo, Flagello, Tagliavini; Rescigno. 1968
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte
Carlyle, Schreier, Mesplé, Crass, Prey, Holm, Mattiello, Putz; Suitner. Buenos Aires, 1968
Mozart: Don Giovanni
Ghiuselev, Moser, Zylis-Gara, Mathis, Wohlers, Moll; Leitner. Wien. 1977
Spotlight: Ernst Kozub
From Our Collectors
Five-Star Reviews
Opera lovers share their discoveries from the catalogue.
My first (and probably only) Ring recording
“After listening to opera for about 50 years, I’ve finally purchased my first Ring! While I appreciate much of Wagner’s music, I will never be a huge fan of all of his complete operas. I did think it was important to have at least one Ring in my collection and this one seemed like a good choice, above all because of Gwyneth Jones. She was the Brunnhilde in the only complete Ring cycle I attended at San Francisco Opera in the late 1980s and she was amazing, as she is here in this recording. I don’t have the experience listening to a lot of other recordings to be able to compare all of the singers to others who have sung the same roles, but on the whole I find this recording very enjoyable.”
John Stanton
“Debussy's opera is a work of unusual and distinctive beauty. The distinguished cast here serves it well. Victoria de Los Angeles is a wonderful Melisande, gentle,with a potent sense of a fey, other worldliness. Her Pallas, Pierre Mollet is expressive and gentle. Joseph Rouleau is a steady and dignified Arkel, his voice resonant even in the lowest reaches of the low tessiture of this role. Julian Hass is dramatically rough Goulard, though capable of softening his tone when needed.The sound is very good”
Fine Performance in Fine Sound!
“This performance may be a bit of a "sleeper" in that people won't expect it to be good - and it's much better than good. There are more Italianate performances available, but this one has its own unique strengths. Lindholm's voice is different from Nilsson's: it is reedier, less focused, more colorful. She doesn't lack for power and she has no difficulties with any of the high notes. She is given the full "Del primo pianto" and makes the most of it (unlike Nilsson who never sang it on stage although it is included in her studio recordings).Her Calaf, Guy Chauvet, is unexpectedly good. He sings very lyrically and has a powerful top that includes the optional C in "No, no, principessa altera". It is almost Corelli-like in its squillo (ring). Evelyn Brunner sings a beautiful Liu. She performs both arias with great care and passion and floats the B-flat on "Perche un di" divinely - whatever happened to her? Wilderman actually makes something of Timur. His rage and heartbreak at Liu's suicide are startling in their vehemence. The three ministers are excellent, their scene performed without the usual trimming. Santi knows how Turandot is supposed to go and leads his cast and orchestra with spirit.The sound is excellent with no glitches, big or small, that I heard. Turandot lovers need this performance!”
Four stars
“Overall very good; a fine recording of a live performance. To my ear Crespin is outstanding and the other singers very good. It must have been an outstanding live evening. Del Mar's pace is excellent.Kinmont”
Theodore Shulman
“I have spent many years looking for a recording with a baritone who does an adequate job of singing the role of Count Almaviva. It's so hard to play this role convincingly--you have to be aloof, but also passionately angry; nasty and manipulative, but also sympathetic during the aria at the beginning of Act 3. Tito Gobbi is the first I have heard who meets all these requirements. After listening to his masterful performance as Don Giovanni under Furtwangler (1950), I had high expectations, and he does not disappoint. He has the snarling vocal muscle and also the precision and virtuosity necessary for the part, as well as the acting ability.The other members of the cast are very good as well, particularly Sir Geraint Evans as Figaro, and Mirella Freni as Susanna. Solti sometimes goes a bit too fast during the ensembles for my taste, but for the most part he does a good job.This is one of the two recordings of FIGARO which I consider essential; the other is the live recording from Aix-en-Provence (1956), conducted by Hans Rosbaud, with Teresa Stich-Randall as the Countess, Rita Streich as Susanna, and the great Rolando Panerai as Figaro.”
One of the very best Rosenkavaliers...and look at the supporting cast! PART THREE...
“Another quick look down the cast list reveals Dennis Wicks – a stalwart member of the major British opera companies and later a famous Ochs with English National Opera- and Julian Moyle, whom I remember as a very valuable member (also) of ENO and Welsh National Opera, especially as a wonderful Rossini baritone with a very flexible voice...and he got married in 2022 at the age of 95! Finally, there’s Hervey Alan (in the brief but important role of the Police Inspector), another major opera/oratorio bass of the ‘40s/’50s/’60s; he created the role of Mr. Redburn in Britten’s Billy Budd in 1951.Anyone care to add any more supporting singers from this cast to my piece of history?”
Die Meistersinger - Beecham 1951
“Wonderful Beechanm Performance in good sound for its time. Shame Act 3 was never recorded but what we have is outstanding. Grummer is a great Eva. Also exc value for money as always”
Excellent performance
“This is a fine studio performance from the BBC in Manchester from 1976. The singing from all the cast is very fine, with standouts being Lorna Haywood as Adriano and John Mitchinson in the title role. However, the star is Edward Downes, a much under-recorded conductor, who holds this mighty, sprawling piece together and transforms it into a gripping drama.”
LA RONDINE - Portland 1971
“This previously unknown recording is a most welcome addition to the list of recordings of LA RONDINE. Mary Costa brings superb vocalism and perfectly expresses Magda's changing emotions. Ruggero is sung by Giuseppe Campora, in particularly strong voice. The rest of the cast is quite good, also the pacing. This must have been a joy to watch.”
James Mertins
“Again this shows David Ward as the best bass-baritone to come out of Scotland and the UK. The best British Wotan ever, he had a wonderful sense of humour and he could laugh at himself,which most singers of his class very seldom do. Another great Scottish Bass in this set is David Kelly who sang many years at the ROH in many roles.”
Fine Tosca
“This is a fine Tosca. Cioni has a light voice but he is effective in his role. Stella has a steely voice that is well suited to Tosca. I would compare her to Tebaldi in timber. Basile moves this live RAI performance briskly. The sound is very very good mono. The voices are clear as one would hope. This is a worthy performance.”
WOW!!
“This presents a fabulous performance from Callas - she is on superb form and this performance shows her at her absolute best in this repertoire. Her coloratura is spell binding and unbelievable in its accuracy, her covered chiarascuro tone reflecting the sadness of Ah credea is heartbreaking and then the contrasting joy and stunning vocal pyrotechnics of Ah non giunge is a thing to wonder at (also Sovra il sen in Act 1)). Would that one had been there in the opera house that evening! But this is the next best thing in very presentable sound. At every turn she demonstrates a singing lesson to any aspiring bel canto singer of whatever voice. The supporting cast is more than adequate but then you hardly listen to Sonnambula for anyone else in it.”
AN EXQUISITE "DER ROSENKAVALIER" BY RICHARD STRAUSS
“A very fine live performance recording! It casts great singers and Richard Strauss singers (Teresa Zylis-Gara, Otto Edelmann), but the great surprise here is Montserrat Caballe's Die Marschallin. One can therefore regret she didn't sing more Strauss roles and more frequently. The orchestra and John Pritchard in the pit are also at their best. Thank you very much for this wonderful gift, dear friends at Opera Depot and dear friend Andy!”
Alexander Gibson-Still hugely underrated.
“I enjoyed this Tristan immensely. As I did O.D.'s Siegfried and Strauss' Rosenkavalier conducted by Sandy. A rare individuality shines through in his conducting for me, as it did in his few commercial recordings. There must surely be a Scottish Opera Ring recording waiting to be found out there somewhere. That would be a treasure indeed.”
Excellent Bayreuth Meistersinger
“This is a justly famous Meistersinger available for several years on the Orfeo label in slightly (and I mean "slightly") better sound. Theo Adam, who was a last minute replacement for the unnerved Walter Berry, is an excellent Hans Sachs, at turns tender and comical, yet authoritative when required. Waldemar Kmentt was better known for his Mozart but makes a very good Walther von Stolzing. His voice may lack tonal beauty, but he sings with such ardor and lyricism that his prize song puts many others sung by tenors possessing more attractive instruments to shame. But perhaps the best thing about this wonderful performance is the conducting of Karl Bohm. One only has to listen to his opening prelude, played with such flexibility and beauty, to know that great things are in store. This performance belongs in every serious Wagner collection.”
Ken
“I have to agree with the above comments about Pauline Tinsley. I saw her as Lady Macbeth with WNO in the 60′s and she was stunning.Also saw her in Moses (Rossini) at Sadlers Wells with WNO. A wonderful singer with a wonderful voice. She formed part of my early opera going experience. I have never forgotten her. Thank you Pauline Tynsley!”
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”.”
EXCEPTIONAL MUST HEAR/BUY
“If this had been around when I bought my first recording back in the early 1970s (Bohm's recorded in 1966 in Bayreuth) I doubt I would ever have felt a need to seek out any other recordings. It is a truly magnificent performance. I read recently that Kleiber spent much time before the initial run in 1974 studying the score in minute detail as well as exploring every aspect of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus familiarising himself with the sound of the place. It shows. Act 2 has a miraculous stillness to it contrasting the amazing tension in Act 1 and the desperation in Act 3. Wenkof in Act 3 is unequalled by anyone anywhere and Ligendza unleashes a gloriously full, bright, unforced sound in the Liebestod. It's a must have.”
Absolute masterpiece
“All worthy of praise, each to a different extent, the well-prepared singers. However, I have a special mention for dear Marisa (M. Luisa Nave), my personal friend, unsurpassed above all in "O vagabonda stella d'oriente". Given the excellent stereo recording of shows in Newark, I also recommend taking LA GIOCONDA the following year from OperaDepot, again directed by the great maestro Silipigni. Hooray!”
JÁNOS KÁDÁR
“It is a very well-sung and well-conducted performance. Christel Goltz belongs to the best Turandots I have ever heard. Hans Hopf made also a very good job especially in the final scene. Though Teresa Stich-Randall has no the beauty and the passion of a Carteri or a Lorengar but sings really beautiful. Unfortunatley we got no information about the bonus: I suppose we can hear Goltz in the final scene of Élektra.”
Having recently discovered Danton's Tod,
“Having recently discovered Danton's Tod, I wanted to check out other von Einem works. I bought this and really enjoyed it. The performance is very persuasive and the cast is quite marvelous. I find so many 20th century operas to be rather unsingable, thus unlistenable. von Einem really allows the singers to use their voices in a very vocal way. All of these singers are strong singing actors so that their performances really register as living characters. Ideally a libretto would be helpful but without that I still enjoyed this experience and recommend the recording both for the work and the singers.”
Martin Ramor
“I agree with everything written in More details. It is a very good recording of Don Pasquale, with delightful Grist as Norina and great Corena as title hero. Amazing Bonisolli. You can suspect he will be singing dramatic repertoire in the future. This recording is a real joy to hear.”
Goldstar Standard
“I agree. It is shameful to cut or shorten any opera and especially when you have a voice such as Raimondi's but with all the cuts - this performance, with this powerhouse cast, is *the* one. Better than any other you'll find and those include the later performances of Joan in 64 and 65 on here. The casting here is one to envy and Joan only gives us that one glorious 'E' among other stellar moments...worth it.”
If Berlioz had written “Götterdämmerung”...
“… you might have had something like this! All joking aside, there are few comparisons to be made with the Wagner, despite the same source material. Reyer’s librettists constructed an epic, but human drama solidly in the style of French ‘grand opéra’. To put the piece in context, Berlioz’s Trojans dates from 1858, Reyer completed “Sigurd” in 1867 (but it was not premiered until 1883), and Wagner’s complete Ring cycle was premiered in 1876. Funnily enough, Brunehild’s first words are an almost exact copy of Brünnhilde’s in “Siegfried”. However, as mentioned, Reyer’s opera is a consistent alternation of big, often ceremonial choral scenes with private interactions between the main characters. Gunther and his sister Hilde have big parts, there is also Ute, Hilde’s mother, who supplies the potion - closer to the Nibelung legend source. The ballet music from the end of Act 2, and that of the wedding celebrations in Act 3, has been cut, but it’s still a solid 3 hours of well-written, if not always memorable, music, which does owe a distinct debt to Berlioz. There is quite a clear echo of “Les Troyens” in Act 1 particularly.As to the performance and recording, the latter is good, as you would expect from a radio broadcast. The casting is, frankly, sheer luxury, some of the best French singers of the period, and chorus and orchestra are expertly directed by Manuel Rosenthal. Guy Chauvet can be a bit of an acquired taste, but he’s well up to the demands of the title role, while of the others, Robert Massard and Denise Scharley are especially commanding. And the diction, all round, is just fabulous! All in all, a persuasive account of an opera worth discovering.”
Jeffrey Kurnit
“This is just what I expected, a gorgeously sung but strange edition of the score. There are numerous cuts and several passages that I can't identify, but the performance trumps all such issues.”
A keeper!!
“A wonderfully exciting telling of Mussorgsky’s epic tale (in, I believe, Rimsky’s orchestration) from everyone involved! Satanowski leans into the music with rhythmic incisiveness but no loss of lyricism. From comprimarios up, everyone sings gorgeously, and the casting is particularly sensitive to the colors of differing bass voices. Ghiaurov is marvelous (if one tick below his absolute dramatic best), and special kudos to the full-blooded vocalism of Fassbaender, Atlantov, Kovats, and Mazurok. A keeper!!”
Great Performance
“This has all the ambiance of live opera theater. Gencer's performance represents complete assumption of the character through greatly expressive singing. The men are specific to character in their singing as well. This is all in good sound and does Forza and Verdi proud.”
An excellent Ring with a top-notch cast
“This Ring with Karl Bohm conducting will invite comparisons with the commercial release on Phillips issued in the 1960s. The principals are a fine group of Wagnerian singers, with Birgit Nilsson as the premier Brunnhilde of her time, a mature Wolfgang Windgassen as SIegfried, at very good Theo Adam as Wotan, and Leonie Rysanek and James King as the Walsung twins. The recording quality is pretty good.”
Michael Asser
“This is in many respects, save that of sound quality, superior to Karajan's 1970 Dresden studio recording. Karl Ridderbusch had a real Sachs voice, beautiful, and warmer in tone than Paul Schoffler, with the true bass register when needed. I have not heard his equal in my lifetime; one has to go back to the legendary Friedrich Schorr to find his superior. The rest of the cast, especially Janowitz, are fine except for the greatly overrated Kollo, whom I heard live at Covent Garden, and whom I thought was just as coarse then. HvK is his usual fine self in this music.”
Caveat emptor (buyer, be advised that .......)
“This is a great MEISTERSINGER and I'm very happy with it. It's unusual in that everyone-- Walther, Sachs, Eva, Pogner, David, Kothner, Beckmesser, all the little roles, the chorus, the orchestra, and the conductor, everyone-- is wonderful. And it's easy to get used to the Swedish. All in all, a lovely performance.BUT...... be advised, gentle reader, that Martti Talvela, who is listed in the description, does NOT sing Pogner or Sachs; he is Meister Hans Foltz (the copper-smith) who only sings four syllables aloud (while Kothner is taking attendance in Act 1) and other than that only sings in the large ensembles, with many other singers singing at the same time. So buy this recording, by all means, but don't buy it for Martti Talvela.”
Karl Heinz Konrad
“Eine selten aufgeführte Oper die unter die Haut geht. Vor allem kann man verstehen was in der Handlung passiert, da Deutsch gesungen wird. Die Sänger sind alle beeindruckend wobei Dvorakova besonders hervor zu heben ist.”
Matthieu DEGOTT
“Excellente interprétation. Gedda et Eda-Pierre sont sensationnels. Elle trille comme personne ne l'a fait, et tout son chant illumine la soirée. Bruson ne maîtrise pas le français, mais quelle voix!”
An first-rate Elektra
“There is a more well-known version of this recording from Vienna with almost the same cast. This performance, however was from a tour to Montreal. Nilsson, Rysanek and Resnik prove to be the definitive (dysfunctional) family, each bringing a unique approach to these three very different roles. Great recording”
Maria di Rohan' is Indeed an Important Masterpiece
“Maria di Rohan is quite innovative. Much of the criticism of this piece still relies on shallow clichés of old-fashioned Donizetti criticism. In a nutshell: Donizetti was Verdi's master. All of Verdi is to a lesser or greater extent found in Donizetti. Verdi, among other things, ransacked the Bergamo master's canon for quotations. The iconic 'Amami, Alfredo' is a quote from the beginning of 'Pia de' Tolomei', by Ghino, the tenor, where he declares his wild, unsupportable love for the soprano. For me, one arresting thing about 'Maria di Rohan' is it's adult, stripped-down, terse, verging-on-veristic intensity. There is no chorus for the entire second half! If you're expecting Lucia, you won't understand it. It took me awhile to get it, but now I think it one of Donizetti's crucial masterworks. It belongs on the list of greatest 5 Donizetti operas, which is really saying something. Good luck, though, with finding the singers to sing it, and a production that serves the score. Good luck with that.....”
Varnay at her most intense....
“The performance was just plain HOT...and Varnay was at her interpretive best and willing to sing with more vehemence than usual. The Narrative and Curse has become an absolute favorite. And the difference between her Act I and Act II is literally Tag und Nacht The Fury of Act I is replaced by an almost bel canto approach to Act II - QUITE wonderful..The rest of the cast is first rate, but Varnay is the star of the stage. Jochum's work is excellent, intense and forward moving.An EXCELLENT performance of TRISTAN UND ISOLDE!”
Krips Rosenkavalier
“Viennese born Krips paces this performance brilliantly and reveals special mastery of its tender moments. A fine memento of Ludwig’s matured Oktavian (her last performance of the role was in June 1972). Thoughtful Rysanek is in splendid voice. A rare opportunity to hear the delightful De Groote. Adequate sound.”
Rare delights
“Nowhere else can you find such rare broadcast recordings. Production standard very high. Cannot blame OD for the odd burst of bad radio reception in the originals. The quality of the performances far outweighs these niggles.”
William Russell
“I have probably two dozen MEISTERSINGERs in my collection and the favourite has been the 1967 Munich under Kubelik. I got this one last week and it is a gem! The Kubelik still comes in first but this Sawallisch is a close second. The sound is full, rich, and clear. Adam is a superb Sachs and Kozub, an almost forgotten tenor today (one wonders how his career would've gone had he succeeded as Siegfried for Solti's Decca recording), gives a strong performance as Walther lacking nothing except the sweetness of Konya for Kubelik who caressed the Prize Song as few others have done. Opera Depot is to be commended for making this set available and I recommend grabbing it.”
A largesse of riches.
“When Die Walküre is conducted like this there is no greater Wagner opera. It’s hard to beat the ending of Act III under almost any circumstances but when it goes beyond the usual tear-jerking on the part of great singers and becomes an all encompassing cosmic experience it becomes something else. So much for Wolfgang Sawallisch being dismissed by the English critics for years as a mere competent kapellmeister.If you only need one reason to add this recording to your already stuffed Wagner library Wolfgang Sawallisch is it.The cast is superb, into the bargain. The star is James King! His “Wälse!… Wälse! at the end of Act I is amazing. No one in my experience has held those notes as long and powerfully, nothing show-boating about it but completely at the service of the moment. He has done many fabulous recordings but this takes the cake. Hildegard Behrens is a lovely Sieglinde. The soft vulnerable type, beautifully sung.I prefer more ferile Sieglindes, like Julia Varády on the Sawallisch cycle on EMI 12 years later, but the softer type Sieglinde when sung as beautiful at Behrens’ and they are not just simpering victims, like Karajan’s Janowitz on his DG set is a delight to the ear.Fassbaender is a marvelously goddess-like Fricka, truly a fractal of the Asautru goddess Frigge. Kurt Böhme’s Hunding is surprisingly young sounding and virile.Gwyneth Jones and Theo Adam are also marvelous. They are let-down slightly by the staging which places them, him especially, too up stage, which mutes his astonishing domination of the implacable god, the same happens to her in the Todesverkundigung in Act 2, But her delivery of this amazing part is mysterious and solemn sung with great beauty of tone. I would say that the sound runs from great to ok. This recording deserves a professional remastering and release commercially and you’d have a classic of the gramophone.Aside from these caveats, as it stands, this is a great performance of Sawallisch pulls off one of those rare feats in Wagner. Magic.Highly recommended.”
A PERFORMANCE TO TREASURE!
“This is an exceptionally coherent, engaging, lyrical & poetic Götterdämmerung. Richard Armstrong, musical director of WNO during its glory years (1973-86), conducts it broadly in the Kempe/Karajan/Goodall mould. While some prefer more muscular or hard-driven approaches, he highlights the opera’s manifold beauties, without sacrificing dramatic power. This is helped by Andrew Porter’s vivid & mostly well enunciated English translation & the orchestra’s exemplary playing. As emphasised by Andy, the star of the show is Anne Evans (b. 1941), a great soprano of Welsh descent. She sounds even more ardent, youthful & lyrical here than in her renowned Bayreuth Brünnhildes under Daniel Barenboim (1989-94). The other female soloists are also very fine, especially the young Kathryn Harries (b. 1951). Jeffrey Lawton (1938-2018) was slightly ‘wooden’ to watch as Siegfried on stage (I attended 3 performances), but he had ample stamina & strong enunciation & here was often almost as lyrical as Alberto Remedios. Barry Mora’s Hagen is lucid & engaging & has presence, & Nicholas Folwell’s Alberich & John Tranter’s Gunther are well enunciated. The WNO chorus delivers impressive sound in Acts 2-3. Andy has not dated the recording. If it was from Cardiff (as specified), it was probably in 1985. But might it have been the excellent BBC broadcast from Covent Garden in 1986? The sound has great clarity, warmth & ambiance, with remarkably few lapses. Highly recommended! Robert Bideleux”
Excellent service and recording
“Its so interesting to hear DelMonaco so late in his career singing better then he did years earlier.The top was great. He did put alot of the sound into the mask,but this is a riveting performance,if a little over the top. But in this day of bland performances with blah singers like Kaufman,Callegha,etc. this is a reminder of whats lost in the Opera world.Taddei was probably in his 60s and allthough there is a wobble,the mere quality of this fine baritone still shines through. Lotte Rysanek,Leonies sister was a lovely lyric soprano and would be welcome on todays stage. Guadagno was always excellent in verismo and the sound is decent.Very good performance.”
Amazing Salome in English
“A great example of witnessing two great artists at the earlies stages of their careers. Mark Elder (now Sir Mark Elder) and Rosalind Plowright (now OBE) in her first ENO stage role.”
Cossotto comments
“It is interesting the comments that have been written here about Cossotto’s behaviour. Charles Craig told us a few years later that the two ladies were not on speaking terms during the rehearsals. He seems to have been used as a go between , which he thought was a bit like a comedy show.”
A Defining Festival Performance--- As Good As It Gets!
“Of the dozen or so live performance recordings from Opera Depot, I believe this is the best!! For the most part, stereo sound quality rivals the best of the era's commercial releases. And the performance!!! Oh, my! Carreras is at his considerable best, gloriously singing a role that, unfortunately, was just one of those that shortened the peak of his career. Mirella Freni couldn't ever have been better than here; the same is true of Cappuccilli's Rodrigo. I only stop naming the cast because they are all tops! I can't recommend this recording too highly. Andy has produced a real winner here. All Verdi fans and fans of these great singers should avail themselves of this one asap.”
Paddy
“I have listened to this twice since receiving, in jaw-dropped awe.Sound is a bit hard, but very clear.I thought the Florence of 1953-Tebaldi, del Monaco etc. or The San Carlo 1958-Tebaldi, Corelli, were the ones,but now I am not so sure. Here Tebaldi is awesome,and Protti in glorious form. I had forgotten how beautiful the di Stefano voice was, before it was ravished by roles such as this.However it”
Another memorable Parsifal from Kna!
“Hans Knappertsbusch owned the Bayreuth Parsifal podium following the post-war reopening of the Festspielhaus. This is another first-rate performance demonstrating his attention to detail in each bar along with his grasp of Wagner's extended dramatic paragraphs. Yes, the overall timing is slow compared to later versions, but the incandescent beauty of the score is well conveyed. Windgassen is slightly more baritonal than one would expect from his forays as Siegfried, he has the part thoroughly under control, and he injects true drama into his portrayal. Mödl is a strong yet feminine Kundry - the hysterical pain of her 2nd Act cry of lachte is heart-wrenching. Hans Hotter's Amfortas is spectacular, beautifully sung, acted with conviction. Compared to his usual granitic bass turns as Hagen and Hunding, Greindl is a warm and sympathetic Gurnemanz, lyrical in the Karfreitag scene. Neidlinger, as always, clearly conveys Klingsor's malice and self-loathing. The recording is very good: the microphone placing was most fortunate in capturing both singers and orchestra in good 1954 mono sound, and the mastering for CD is excellent. Even if you have other Parsifals in your collection, this release is definitely worth exploring. Highly recommended.”
Matey
“Dame Joan Sutherland + La Traviata + prime = amazing!Need I say more? This performance is a must have for any serious operatic fan interested in exploring this opera and this style of singing. It is truly a treasure.”
