As a stand alone Das Rheingold this is an unexpected Sleeper in Opera Depot's catalog. There have been more beautiful overall performances of Wagner's opera, but few that are so alive, where every moment counts. Many will remember Rolf Kühne from Swarowsky's last minute studio Ring. There he sang Alberich, here he takes on Wotan. His voice isn't as beautiful as some others, but he knows what he's about every minute. Fricka is usually cast with a mezzo, but using a soprano isn't unheard of (Borkh sang the role in a 1950s radio performance) and Synek, while plagued with a few pitch issues, is unusually assertive. Windgassen had sung Loge probably hundreds of times by 1974 and his experience shows. A young Hermann Becht is the macho Donner. A real treat is discovering the wonderful contralto, Anna Maragaki, as Erda: a deep, rich, steady voice that commands the stage for the brief time she sings. The giants are both excellent with well-contrasted voices. Gerhard Misske is more subtle than the usual Alberich and Pampuch shows why he was so often hired for his brother Mime. Siegfried Köhler leads a strong performance that holds one's interest. The sound is excellent, presumably from a broadcast. So what's the caveat? Sadly, the entire magical first scene is missing as are the orchestral interludes between the other scenes. Given how good the rest of the performance is it's even more of a pity. Life is not always perfect in Valhalla...

very good performance—Excellent Rolf Kühne,Liane Synek and Windgassen—BRAVO!

Rolf Kühne ein wunderbarer Wotan, er hat auch in Wien gesungen. Lyane Synek auch sehr gut. Die Aufnahme ist zu empfehlen.

Eine solide Vorstellung in guter Tonqualität mit guten Sängern. A solid performance in good sound quality with good singers.