I don't know whether or not this Rheingold was part of a complete Ring cycle. If it was, I'd love to hear the rest of it. But on its own it's extremely good. All of the roles are well-sung and acted. Sotin sang the Rheingold Wotan in a Met broadcast a dozen years later. He was still impressive (though he splintered the top F in "Abendlich strahlt"), but here he is in splendid form throughout, that glorious instrument of his equal to every challenge Wagner wrote. A pity he never got to record the cycle under studio conditions. Steinbach, Denize, Kelemen, and Wenkel are all as good as their reputations say they were. Arvidsorn is a memorable Donner contributing a ringing "He da, he do!" The three Rhinedaughters are superb individually and as a trio. Ehrling leads a well-paced performance. The sound is very good broadcast stereo. There is some minor radio static after Erda's big scene, but it clears up quickly.A worthwhile recording then, one that makes a great beginning to any ad hoc Ring cycle.

A lot of mistakes in the Prelude (F instead of G brrrrrr.), but interesting performance. Sotin, Ridderbusch, Kelemen (Karajan's Alberich) are very good, Nadine Denize very good. I think that Wagner love the part of Fasolt, so lyric and passionate, every time Fasolt sings seems a romantic aria and Ridderbusch is the best "Darsteller" with his dark but soft tone. He never screams, he's always singing. Good but not so insinuant is Steinbach as Loge, with his barytonal influences in a good vocal line. Ehring's Wagner is solid and straight to the goal, sometimes too slow (first scene) and too weak, in my opinion, in discerning the instrumental context for any charachter