Description:

Every Brünnhilde finds her strongest footing in one opera of the Ring, which is why Bayreuth often cast multiple sopranos across the cycle. For Astrid Varnay, Götterdämmerung was that opera. From the love duet through the Immolation Scene, she commands the stage with unrelenting vocal force. While her performance in Die Walküre reveals her capacity for subtle nuance, here she unleashes the full power of her voice with thrilling results.

Wolfgang Windgassen, in his earlier years, had a slightly darker tone than in later decades, but he is no less compelling as Siegfried. His vocal production is even and assured across the range. Josef Greindl, ever the imposing presence, brings depth to Hagen—balancing menace with a hint of sympathy, elevating the character beyond villainy.

Elisabeth Grümmer is almost too convincing as Gutrune—her luminous tone raises the question of why Siegfried wouldn’t remain with her even after the spell is broken. Birgit Nilsson, following her earlier appearance as Sieglinde, adds distinction in a brief but memorable turn as the Third Norn.

Hans Knappertsbusch and the Bayreuth Orchestra embrace the challenges of the score with evident relish. His shaping of the Rhine Journey is especially joyful—an expressive counterbalance to the opera’s more solemn themes.

In Mono

OD 11873-4