Description:

It’s remarkable how much great Wagner was emerging from London in the 1960s. Perhaps it was the influence of Georg Solti, or simply an influx of fresh talent, but whatever the reason, audiences were treated to outstanding performances year after year — and this performance is no exception.

The cast features a roster of singers woefully underrepresented on recording. Ludmila Dvořáková is exceptional in the title role. It’s almost baffling how a singer with such a contralto-like vocal color could manage such reliability in the upper register. Ingrid Bjoner offers a radiant and winsome Sieglinde, beautifully paired with the Siegmund of Ernst Kozub. Both singers possessed lyrical instruments with a kind of built-in vocal overdrive, making Wagner’s frequent outbursts thrilling without sacrificing the essential lyricism woven into his writing.

Herbert Fliether proves himself a Wotan of real substance. While it’s hard to gauge the size of his voice from this recording, the essential vocal qualities of a great Wotan are unmistakably present. He sings with full-bodied tone throughout the evening, never resorting to pushing, even in Wotan’s notoriously punishing final lines — a moment that has defeated more than a few baritones.

NEW MASTER:
-Pitch Corrected. Continuity improved.

In Mono

OD 10599-3