After spending a week assembling the excerpts for this compilation, it’s easy to see why Herbert von Karajan was so captivated by Helga Dernesch. In her early years, Dernesch possessed a vocal warmth more typical of a mezzo-soprano, paired with the gleaming high notes of a dramatic soprano. The result was a rare and thrilling combination of color and power. This release features over two hours of selections from operas including Fidelio, La Forza del destino, Ariadne auf Naxos, Elektra, Die Frau ohne Schatten, Der Rosenkavalier, Tannhäuser, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Tristan und Isolde, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung. She is joined by the likes of Birgit Nilsson, Jess Thomas, Brigitte Fassbaender, Lucia Popp, Ruza Baldani, and Karl Ridderbusch.

All the excerpts are in good sound, with the exception of the Elektra selection. Despite its sonic limitations, it’s included for its fascinating glimpse into Dernesch’s Chrysothemis.