David Inglis

“A revelation to me! A delightful opera, excellently cast and conducted, quite unlike later Wagner, but a pleasure to listen to. It would also be a great subject for a guess the composer quiz!”

Exciting Performance in Good Enough Sound!

“This Pagliacci was the first half of an evening that concluded with Cavalleria Rusticana (also available from Opera Depot #11833), both starring Maralin Niska, a wonderful singing actress who could sing just about anything well. She is one of the few sopranos who sang both Nedda and Santuzza on the same evening.Her Nedda loves Life and is unapologetic about wanting as much as she can get from it. She is witheringly scornful of Tonio's clumsy advances and fully committed to her lover Silvio. She also sports two excellent trills before the Ballatella and several exciting high Bs.Elvira is a terrific Tonio, singing the blazes out of the opening Prologue and providing some real competition to his colleagues elsewhere. Mauro also sings with fervor, knocking out some great, squillo-filled high notes. He became the Met's go-to tenor for the Italian repertoire a few years later. Cossa is a passionate Silvio and Lowery an excellent Beppe, especially in his last act serenade. As with Cavalleria Rusticana, Martelli knew how this opera was supposed to go and conducts an exciting performance, one that would be difficult to match today when much of the verismo repertoire is so tamely performed.If you get this Pagliacci, treat yourself to the Cavalleria mentioned above as well. You'll audibly hear Niska change characters.”

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.”

Leyla Gencer pushes the boundaries.

“Without doubt: Leyla Gencer is the only soprano to touch Maria Callas in terms of interpretation and character symbolism and projection. Out of the cast of vocals you know it's Leyla Gencer, the dark sombre that comes and falls at your knees. It's 57' and Leyla is in excellent voice. Even Leylas' 80s material is worth listening to because she makes every effort to convey the composer's medium. Leyla Gencer listened to all of Callas's recordings because you can correlate the line and extensions in vocal interplay when studying each recording.”

When NYC was advnturous

“This is relic to be treasured of a golden era in New York City. In 1958, I was in James Madison High School. Bernie Sanders was in my class, btw. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a generation earlier and Chuck Schumer a decade later. Back then, Thomas Scherman's Carnegie Hall concerts presented great operas before City Opera and the Met did, often with great singers (Farrell and Dobbs) before the Met or City Opera had them. Not only were these nights to be cherished, they built up demand for these operas and these artists. This is a performance to be treasured on its own merits but it is also a memento of wonderful times gone by.”

Excellent and reliable Seller: definitely recommended.

“«Un Ballo in Maschera» (one of the most beautiful M° Verdi’s Operas) needs a refined and incisive Conductor, and M° Rudel stands out in particular for the very attentive accompaniment of the Singers and the sensitive knowledge of the Italian Romantic vocal style, in which are distinguished Mme Rolandi in the risky role of Oscar, sung with a very remarkable technique and brilliant characterisation; and M° Elvira, for his beautiful soft-tone voice, appropriate for the several emotions of the noble and troubled role of Renato.”

Great sound. Outstanding performance.

“Paskalis uses his voice to fully cover the nuances of his role. Barstow's timbre is dark and ominous when needed and brilliantly colored and appropriately steely when needed. This is an exciting performance. The sound profile is crackling and alive like a great European theater, or like that of the great Philadelphia Academy of Music in Pennsylvania. Again, it is a very fine performance.”

John Querns

“Terrific performance. I remember seeing this cast. Pauline Tinsley as the Kostelnicka is wonderful and the rest of the cast are not far behind in intensity. A brisk and tightly-controlled performance from the conductor. Thrilling stuff!”

Joseph Brand

“This is one of the most thrilling Parsifal’s ever. Boulez’s interpretation has the majesty, beauty, delicacy and emotional power of this score at his fingertips and though his tempi are swift – even swifter than the commercial recording of two years later – it sounds completely natural as you listen – and the orchestral playing and choral singing are both magnificent. I think this is a finer performance than the 1970 version in which only James King is superior to the rather dry voiced, though perfectly adequate, Jean Cox. Much as I admire Gwyneth Jones, here Amy Shuard excels on all counts. Thrilling, fearless, full of character, and incredibly moving. Seeing that nowadays Kundry always seems to be sung by mezzos it is wonderful to hear a great soprano voice in the role. Wagner wrote it for a soprano who has a completely different timbre to a mezzo. The other truly outstanding performance is Franz Crass as Gurnemanz closely followed by Stewart and McIntyre. And what a line-up of solo flowermaidens. Even Kurt Moll stands out in a small role. Add to all this first rate recording quality – easily up to commercial standards – all Parsifal lovers should snap this up.”

Stravinsky auf Deutsch

“I enjoyed this German language recording of The Rake very much. The sound is very good and the performances are excellent. Rothenberger is superb as Anne Trulove and Kmett, Wachter and Little all bring major voices and strong personalities to bear on their roles.”

But why was the mp3 encoded in stereo?

“Thanks. to OperaDepot, I finally got the opportunity to hear this famous pirate and can now happily recommend it to everyone who loves Italian opera theater as it was practiced before the days of HiFi recording technology, when the only way to hear the music as anything more than a tinny facsimile was to be there at curtain time. The digital file offered here sounds just fine, better in fact than some of my Maria Callas' treasures. I'm wondering however why OperaDepot encoded this file in stereo instead of mono. Doesn't that just sacrifice half the bitrate?”

Gold!

“You have to hear the amazing voices of Gencer and Aragall to believe it!! WHY these two were not world famous in the same class as Caballe, Callas, Pavarotti or Domingo is beyond me. They had it all. I particularly like cd 2 but it’s all gold.”

Jeffrey Ouellette

“This Macbeth may be one of my new “desert island” faves! Astrid Varnay is in her extraordinary vocal prime, with full range of dynamics and all fioratura in place. Her Lady may wear the vocal pants, but Ivan Petroff is not to be underestimated. His voice is warm, and he sings with beautiful legato. Italo Tajo’s basso cantante may be soft grained for some, but he sings beautifully. Gino Penno is a full blooded Macduff, just the guy to take down Mr. M. Unfortunately, their confrontation is lost in the “hurly burly” of the orchestral battle. Vittorio Gui leads an exceptionally musical performance (ballet included). Sound excellent.”

A great, incisive, dramatic Parsifal

“One can’t have too many recordings of Parsifal sung by Jon Vickers. He gave extraordinarily intense and elemental performances of the title role, and this one is as interesting as those under Knappertsbusch and Goodall. This recording also provides a better ambience for Kurt Moll’s great Gurnemanz (the other main role) than does Karajan’s somewhat uneven and somnolent studio job. The French cast-members and the Paris Opera orchestra and chorus acquit themselves very well and help to make the overall sound warmer and less Germanic than usual. This superbly played, sung and conducted performance is considerably faster and more dramatic than the great Parsifal recordings conducted by Knappertsbusch, Goodall, Solti and Kempe, who focus more on incandescence and spirituality. It is closer to the approaches associated with Boulez and Armin Jordan, but is less hard-driven. To considerable degrees, like Barenboim and Philippe Jordan, Horst Stein manages to heighten both drama and spirituality. Although he was long underrated, videos and non-commercial recordings (including those on OD) have been gradually redressing that. This recording is well worth hearing for refreshing variety of sound and approach, and both the performance and the sound quality are excellent.”

A superb performance!

“I have heard so many recordings of Parsifal,but believe or not,this the first time I’ve actually been able to hear it in a tempo that is not rushed through like a speeding bullet (or a drudge festival).”

Extraordinary Concert

“Behrens, King, and Adam all in top form here. We all know about these artists’ achievements in German rep. So you’ll be amazed by Behrens’s Desdemona in selections from Verdi’s Otello. Her voice is as ethereal as Renee or Kiri in this role.”

Michael Proctor

“Wow this is good. I love buying these live recordings from OperaDEPOT because I'd never get the opportunity to hear this stuff otherwise. I'm not a musicologist who can give you a thorough going review of the ins and outs of each performance but, really, at these prices you can just download and decide for yourself. It's fascinating to me to hear these live performances. Despite not being a musicologist, I am a very experienced Wagner live performance attendee and I know what's good and not. Having said that I also have a personality sufficiently open to risk to just buy and download this rare stuff and listen to it and love it where it's loveable. So, I really like much of this Ring (and I am a huge Goodall fan and a huge ENO/Goodall fan and an Esther Gray fan) so my curiosity to hear this and the Davis here, was rewarded very much. Have to say I preferred Reingold but, buying these live recordings isn't about acquiring the "best" or "perfect" versions (we already have those, don't we?); it's about hearing something else and something new......”

BEL CANTO ‘DUTCHMAN’

“When this opera was heard by its first audiences in 1843, the genre was dominated by the bel canto movement: ‘Wagnerian’ singers, male or female, did not exist. The first Senta was a success in Bellini roles, and her first Dutchman was a notable Mozartian. This ’L'Olandese volante,’ sung in Italian with an interesting cast, makes a case for hearing the work without the usual Bayreuth expectations. Virginia Zeani, who’d made a European career singing the bel canto repertory, makes an excellent Senta, using her mezza voce to sweeten the gentler parts of her Ballad. More volume produces a wide vibrato at times, but high notes are on the button. Overall, Zeani humanizes the character, and as Senta is, truth to say, living in a dream world, playing her as a heroic Lucia makes perfect sense. Giorgio [Casellato-] Lamberti turns Erik into a robust Latin rival for Senta’s love. The singer finds and sets humming the arioso quality in his part of the Act 2 duet with Senta and makes a bel canto treat out of Erik’s Act 3 cavatina. The ending, in which Lamberti “leans into” the melody, then tosses off the then-customary cadenza with flourishes of coloratura, could well have graced one of the lesser-known Verdi operas that the tenor helped revive. The Helmsman is also good in his high-flying Act 1 sailor’s song: other sources credit this role to Bruno Sebastian, who like Lamberti went on to have a substantial international tenor career.Antonio Boyer is quite a surprise as the Dutchman. He had a longish but undistinguished European career, mainly surfacing in rarities and 20th-century works, with a few secondary parts in more familiar operas (he sang Ford in Verdi’s ‘Falstaff’ at Glyndebourne). Here he is in especially good voice and anxious to make an impression. His lower range is stronger than most baritones in this role, giving the openings of his major scenes the proper dark ominousness (Verdi’s ‘cupo’ quality), But his voice has both depth and expansiveness, and he has the strength to put across the big climaxes. One would have loved to hear him as King Philip in Verdi’s ‘Don Carlo.’ A young Francesco Cristofoli (Danish despite his name) conducts well, keeping the action going but giving the singers room to color their lines. This musician went back to the Danish Royal Opera to a successful career as a Wagnerian. Sadly, the overture is the murkiest part of the recording, with the horn section masking the rest of the instruments. (One suspects that microphone was placed on the stage and the curtain was down during the overture, muffling the sound.) My copy does not show any of the sonic flaws mentioned below by Jim Martin, showing that the remastering has been a success. I would have liked a better balance of singers and orchestra, but this recording is well worth having, showing how Wagner’s mix of novelty and nods to bel canto traditions won him audiences in the beginning of his career.”

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 !”

A lovely mark of respect...

“Thanks, Andy, for your swift and very thoughtful gesture on the passing of "my" Queen, Elizabeth II. As a Brit of 71 years old, who only remembers one monarch on the throne in my lifetime, I was saddened by the announcement yesterday, 8 September 2022.I am full of admiration that you responded so swiftly with a free download of this excellent, historical performance in tribute. I bought this recording from you some time ago, but now many other opera-lovers who may not have discovered this recording can enjoy it, discovering exactly how good the opera is!Thank you so much!”

Mater dolorosa

“This is a thrilling account of Rossini's setting of the sequence, "Stabat mater," with Leontyne Price (who is closest to the microphone), Susanne Marsee (especially superb in Rossini), John Alexander, and Robert Hale, all in excellent voice, and the conducting is very fine. The performance hails from the 1971 Cincinnati May Festival, and is highly recommended!”

Wagner at it´s best

“This is my 51 Ring Cycle, Nilsson & Windgassen vocaly it their Best, the recording transfer on the CD´s are exellent, comparible with the recordings in Bayreuth 1967 Böhm, 1968 by Maazel, and the recordings by Furtwängler 1953 Rai and the recording 1957 London by Kempe”

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.”

Parsifal, Knappertsbusch, Bayreuth (1963)

“Hans Knappertsbusch was the champion of Parsifal at the Bayreuth Festival. The 1963 version was only available on the Melodram label at a excessive cost. Thanks for making this recording accessible at a friendly price.”

Top Notch Meistersinger

“This Meistersinger is exceptionally well cast. Theo Adam is in superb voice as Hans Sachs, surpassing his performance on Karajan's commercial recording. Then there's Gundula Janowitz's youthful and gorgeously sung Eva. The rest of the cast is on an equally high level with the possible exception of Ernst Kozub, whose voice sounds a little frayed around the edges. Sawallisch provides unfailingly sensitive support from the podium. The stereo sound is excellent.”

The way Maazel conducts is interesting.

“. King is always at the top: the final of Walküre Act 1 is irresistible, Kuchta is in better form than in 1968 Thomas is good as usual even if he seems a little bit tired in some passages but at the end of Siegfried Act 1 he can't compete with the smashing performance of Parly a year before.”

Anonymous

“Unbelievable...a super-high-voltage performance beyond my expectation. If you love Strauss' Elektra, do not miss this version!not only three sopranos' great singing, but also Christopher Keene' sharp conducting and the superior orchestra (Syracuse Sym?) are quite impressive.”

Royal pair come up aces

“Whoever was charged with running the wind machine for this broadcast performance certainly a high old time of conjuring up the Scottish moors. Although cuts in the music reflect the lack of confidence in Verdi's early operas that was endemic at the time, the musical rendition itself is ripe with zeal for the score, with Joseph Keilberth (of all unlikely people) whipping up tremendous excitement. With her black, pulverizing timbre and customary intensity, Martha Model redefines Lady Macbeth in her malefic image. Were it not for difficulty with the role's top notes (like the climax of "La luce langue") she would reign supreme among Lady Macbeths. Josef Metternich clearly knows he is up against formidable competition and rises to the challenge with a noble Macbeth, helpless in the face of forces he believes to be more powerful than himself. As Verdian singing it's top-notch, as is Theo Herrmann's Banquo, with his deep-pile carpet of a voice. The Macduff is one of those metallic tenors for which German audiences have a high tolerance but one is having such a good time listening to this "Macbeth" that he can't spoil the experience. The recording sound is absolutely first-rate.”

1957

“In fact, a few years after the opera's premiere, Rossini created a version for a baritone Iago, and that became the most frequently performed version for the rest of the 19th century. So, if this recording uses Rossini's version (I have no way of knowing), there's nothing inauthentic about the baritone Iago. However, to enjoy this--and I do recommend it--you really do have to be prepared for what it is: the goal in 1957, when this opera was totally unknown, appears to have been to do whatever it took to present as much of the opera's best music as possible, while cutting as much as possible of everything else. This includes some drastic and musically unnatural resequencing and even the transfer of some music from one character to another. Recitativo is cut to the barest of minimums. As a result, the flow and pacing of scenes is sometimes quite different from what Rossini had in mind, and at times the opera also becomes dramatically odd--for example, this version ends abruptly with the murder of Desdemona. In addition, the overall feel of the performance emphasizes passion over grace, so this becomes a very Verdian take on Rossini's music. All of this said, though, if you can accept it for what it is, and forget about what it isn't, this is really a quite wonderful performance.”

Martin Ramor

“This recording is very nicely done. Rysanek's voice project well and she has really pure tone. Mc Intyre and Rysanek have both very expressive voices and are also dramatically convincing. These are nuanced performances. Talvela is very poverful Daland and Cox (Erik) is singing with ease and beauty in his voice. It is nice to have Kollo as Steuermann. Varviso displays once again that he was great Wagnerian conductor, too.”

complete cast

“Here comes the complete cast of the performance, 13th May 1973:Macbeth: Wassilio JanulakoLady Macbeth: Liane SynekMacduff: Herbert SchachtschneiderBanco: Kunikazu OhashiMalcolm: Willy CaronDama: Alena CihankovaMedico: Francisco VergaraDomestico: Klaus BruchApparizioni: Werner Sindemann, Marita Knobel, Vicki HallChorus of the Cologne Opera, Chorus Master: Hans-Wolfgang SchmitzConductor: Nello Santi”

Beautiful Figaro

“This performance surprised me. I did not expect it to be so beautiful. I never heard of Liliane Berton who sings Susanna but she has a perfectly light voice and is clearly enjoying herself. I need to hear more of her. Caballe is wonderful as the Countess and Blankenburg is an experienced Count. Bacquier is also perfect as Figaro. Pritchard leads a lively performance and the remaining cast is also fine with their respective roles. The sound is excellent: just what one would want from a live performance. Bravo to all concerned. I'm glad I took a chance on this one.”

Aragal excels in Amico Fritz

“Good sound, wonderful performance by all principals. I wish Opera Depot would issue a retrospective on Aragall. He is one of my favorite singers. Beautiful, well produced sound which lasted well into his '70s. It would be so good to enjoy a series of live excerpts from a great tenor whose career deserves to be celebrated.”

Thrilling

“Just listen to the Boheme excerpts to understand the magic of these singers. It isn't just about the voice--though theirs are supreme--it's about the artist giving himself/herself completely to the music, the intention behind the words, and the other musicians, and the moment in time. You will be moved by Rodolfo and Mimi--their youth, their vulnerability, their passion--as if you had never heard them before.”

A must-hear, must-own, must-listen-many-many-times-and-study-every-syllable performance

“Gustav Neidlinger was typecast for the "howling-and-spitting" villain-roles very early in his career. Everyone thinks of Alberich and Klingsor when his name is mentioned. But he was in fact a versatile, smart singing actor equally capable of singing buffo parts and playing benevolent nice-guys. His Hans Sachs retains his characteristic massive vocal power, dark tone, and, his spontaneity, his uninhibited singing straight from the gut. His nasty side works well when he's "marking" Beckmesser, but he's also astonishingly tender when he talks with Eva in Act 2, and his monologues and avuncular interactions with David. The only flaws in this performance are his occasional tendency to rush a phrase, reaching the end of the line a little sooner than the orchestra; also, he runs out of gas a little bit during the singing lesson with Walther in Act 3.Tenor Walter Geisler is a big surprise, sweet, smart, and powerful. Everything else Andy said is right, about Eliz Grummer and Gerhard Stolze, but Andy neglected to mention that Josef Greindl has one of his best nights as Pogner, a role he first sang at Bayreuth in 1943 and apparently never got tired of. Andre Cluytens' conducting is very smart and sensitive.”

David

“I enjoyed this performance of Rigoletto very much. The sound is rather recessed, but the ear adjusts quickly enough. Domingo sings very well and sings a different ending to “Parmi verder” that is quite lovely. Moser is excellent, interpolating the usual high options into Gilda’s music (though not a high E at the end of “Caro nome”). She makes a very assertive, positive Gilda. Anyone who likes her should get this. Poskalis is marvelous, an underrated artist. The other singers are fine. The performance here is on pitch, unlike another company’s release of this. Keep in mind that the diapason in Vienna is slightly higher and continues to be so today.”

Superlative “Giovanni”

““Don Giovanni”, with so many vital characters and such a variety of musical mood, is a most elusive opera, seldom satisfying in the theatre. I have at least thirty recordings of it on my shelves; this live Solti one is one of the few to which I often return, and is in several parts classic, even definitive, certainly worthy of obsession. Those parts range from the dark, dramatically crucial, comic/tragic trios for three bass/baritones to the incomparably celestial trio for Anna (Margaret Price), Elvira (Kiri Te Kanawa), and Ottavio (Stuart Burrows), all in top form and taking the music onto another plane. Soyer is seductive and voracious in voice (as he was in person) as Giovanni. Solti shows the different facets of the opera with great power and colour; every part is extremely well taken.”

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.”

“Excellent performances! It's a thrill to experience this early unfolding of Caballe's unique vocal gifts. and the audience's largely surprised and astonished response. And Gladys Kuchta is a superb Turandot, with the all the requisite thrust and ring, a clarion sound with a core not so much made up of steel, as burnished metal. This is a Turandot at once both commanding and human.”

james sellers

“I've had four or five editions of this CARMEN and this pressing sports the best sound I've heard. Well worth the upgrade if you don't have it. The approach is old fashioned, lusty and exciting. Not much subtlety here! The singers are all top quality, solid professionals and could not be bettered at the time, Stellar cast with Bastianini in a rarely recorded role and Simionato and Corelli are on fire!! Scotto is an assertive, spot-on Micaela. Great ensemble singing and vocal acting.”

Souliotis

“I have,until now always been wary of this singer,her studio recordings were not up to scratch,live she is a different animal,then I got a Forza del Destino DVD,and saw how she really was.Personally I think she sang the wrong repertory too soon,exciting though it was,but she shows real class in a lot of what she sings here,I dont know why she was booed so vociferously in Norma,Ive heard far worse in the opera house.Overall I enjoyed the whole disc,and am glad I bought it”

The Mastery of Neglecdted Artists

“Peter Glossop portrays a very confident, proud and clever Barber. His baritone is powerful with beautiful timbre. Silvio Varviso keeps everybody on focused throughout the performance and provides one of the krispiest executions of this masterpiece. What a pity to miss out on the visuals. The audience had great fun. Quality very good. Thank you.”

Stunning

“I bought this as a download sometime ago but have never got around to listening to it. What a mistake! This is stunning in every way. The first half of the concert sees Nilsson deliver a wonderful Liebestod and Solti conducting a marvellous performance of the Prelude to Tristan; but wait until the 2nd half where all guns are blazing in a performance of Act 3 of Götterdämmerung which will knock your socks off! Everyone seems totally immersed in their role, Windgassen sounding fresh and lyrical, the Rhinemaidens (including a future Brünnhilde in Gwyneth Jones) a well matched trio, Gottlob Frick is frighteningly menacing as Hagen and Nilsson radiant in as fine a rendition of the Immolation as I have ever heard. Solti brings it all to life in a superbly paced account of the Act, dramatic and fiery but never as hectoring and jerky as his Decca recording can seem. The Prommers can't wait to voice their approval at the end of the concert (and indeed a little too soon after the Liebestod) but you can understand their excitement at such a wonderful musical experience. The sound is excellent and the slightly resonant acoustic of the Royal Albert Hall actually makes everything glow. Recommended highly.”

Jame Mertins

“This was one of the great nights at the ROH. Solti was on fire because he believed in this piece.Resnik for me was stunning in this role. This is just as wonderful as the Met casts at the time. Solti brought the singers at the house into another dimension. For me McIntyre was just too gruff and the voice was never that steady in any role he sang but he was a good actor and carried it off. Berry with Solti again at the Garden was superb but that was Berry’s best role. Resnik in whatever she did was always wonderful to watch and the voice certainly became the role she was singing, for me the supreme singing actress of her time.”

Jeopardy Clue: The definitive singing actress. Answer: Who is Pauline Tinsley?

“I only saw Pauline Tinsley once, as Kostelnicka in a 1979 Houston Grand Opera performance of Jenufa, and I am still obsessed with that performance, despite the intervening 40+ years. I was never so immediately transported into the drama of a opera by the combined vocal and acting talents of an opera performer as I was by Ms. Tinsley that night. So, I had high hopes for this recording of Elektra, given the effusively positive reviews by others here. I was not disappointed. Tinsley mesmerizes you with every phrase. The standard by which I judge an Elektra is Inge Borkh's masterful excerpt recording with Fritz Reiner and the CSO. Tinsley is every bit her equal, and I might add that the conducting is every bit as intense as Reiner's. The other roles are performed well, but this night belonged to Ms. Tinsley.”

A RING to have

“This RING has cuts, but I can forgive this recording, sound is great, cast is out of this world. Birgit Nilsson love duet in the prologue of Gotterdammerung outstanding, she made me turn my head as she held out that last note of the duet. Everyone is top notch and the conducting never slow, very fast paced. There are little and I mean little blurbs from the orchestra. I will hear this RING again.”

Highly recommended.

“A very enjoyable performance. I am big fan of opera in English and I think the Janacek operas especially benefit from translation. This set makes a great addition to Mackarras’ studio recordings of the Janacek operas in English. A terrific find.”