Performances of the Wiener Staatsoper specially in the 70s and 80s were special, not only because of the mostly outstanding quality of the performances, but due to the dedication, knowledge and above all loyalty of the audience to their singers and conductors. This audience had favorites and Hans Beirer being Austrian has definitely been one of their beloved and adored favorites who couldn't do wrong.This Ringcycle, which was Birgit Nilsson’s last Ring in Vienna, was conducted by the largely underestimated Horst Stein, started with a just wonderful Rheingold, whose cast was an outstanding mixture of well-tried and fairly new to the part performers, for whom it was important to tell a story together. With the beginning of Die Walküre, there was a slowly and steadily increasing tension in the house. A tension one can often experience when two different ways of performing don’t match, but here in Vienna it was different. Hannelore Bode, who has had just a few months ago an overwhelming Bayreuth debut as Sieglinde and Hans Beirer, who no doubt had the stamina to sing the role and a reputation for not being precise. Hannelore Bode gave her outmost to fill out the part in her singing, acting, looks ... name it; she basically performed all around Hans Beirer, who basically stood and sang. Unfortunately the reaction of the audience at the end of the first act is missing.Birgit Nilsson had cancelled her participation in Die Walküre, which was regrettable on a variety of reasons; one: just a few months ago she performed an amazing Walküren Brünnhilde and proved that she was still capable and furthermore; it would have been her last Walküren Brünnhilde in Vienna. Siegfried came, amazing performance, amazing cast and then came Götterdämmerung with Birgit Nilsson's last Götterdämmerung’s Brünnhilde in Vienna and with Hans Beirer as Siegfried. As mentioned, Hans Beirer had a reputation for not being precise and in the third act has finally crossed the conductor’s pain threshold in entering in a crucial moment three bars too early. Fortunately Horst Stein had the presence of mind to keep the performance running in using a short general break for silencing Hans Beirer and for refocusing and mainly in taking over Siegfried’s line: ‚Trink Gunther, trink…‘ after which Hans Beirer finished the phrase with’… Dein Bruder bringt es Dir.’ - The voice you hear is not the voice of the prompter, it is the voice of the conductor in the successful attempt to keep the show running. Couple of years before that, Hans Beirer entered in a gala performance of Fidelio in Berlin completely wrong, so that the performance had to stop. Loren Maazel was not capable in catching the error. Funny enough this had been another performance with Birgit Nilsson.From that moment on, one could no longer ignore the tension, which started to build in the first act of Walküre, in which irreconcilable ways of performing clashed. One could feel that quite a part of the audience couldn't wait for the performance to finish - so immensely was their desire in commenting what happened. In a way, it was absurd; Birgit Nilsson one of the, probably THE Brünnhilde of her time sang knowingly her last immolation scene at the Wiener Staatsoper, probably her summary of her many years of experience with this role on all the big stages and partners, so deeply touching - and part of the audience just couldn’t wait to avenge one of their own who has in their opinion been so wronged…! Birgit Nilsson completed the immolation scene, followed by the overwhelming closing music, brilliantly conducted by Horst Stein and performed by the Wiener Philharmoniker and then - mild applause, ovations for Birgit Nilsson, demonstrative applause from one part of the audience followed by a booing storm for Horst Stein, which one could have experienced only in Vienna in that period of time. (The only exception I have experienced was the dreadful and hateful reaction of the audience during and at the end of the first cycle of the Chéreau / Boulez Ring in Bayreuth. )On the one hand there were the loyal fans of their singers at the Wiener Staatsoper, who felt the need to defend one of theirs, on the other hand the part of the audience who were thankful for Horst Stein being so in charge through an out of the ordinary challenging Ring; Birgit Nilsson's last Ring in Vienna, Hans Beirer like from another time, young fresh performers like Hannelore Bode and Peter Hofmann - the dream couple of the Bayreuth Ring just a couple of months ago (interesting enough in Vienna Peter Hofmann sang Loge) and an exceptional mentally strong Horst Stein at the conductor's desk. - Unfortunately the reaction of the audience, their applause and boos is not included in the recording. Not only the performance was to remember.Thank you Andrew for uploading this remarkable performance!

Someone finally came up with the middle two operas and we now have this 1976 Vienna Ring cycle complete albeit in sometimes rough sound.These may have been some of the last Brünnhildes Nilsson sang (I know she sang the Walküre Brünnhilde as late as 1980 in San Francisco). She's in good shape here, a few pitch issues aside. The top notes still thrill and there's little she didn't know about how to bring Brünnhilde to life. Beirer was 65, but his never beautiful voice was still as reliable as ever. Adam is in great shape as Wotan as is Grace Hoffman as Fricka/Waltraute. Peter Hofmann made an auspicious Vienna State Opera debut as Loge. The other singers are all excellent. Stein leads a well-paced cycle that never seems rushed or drawn out.I wish the sound was better, but Opera Depot got hold of the best tapes available and at the correct pitch, if uneven in quality (Siegfried has probably the best sound overall). Not a beginner's Ring then, but surely one that Ring Nuts will enjoy.