This marks the first time the 1960 Die Walküre from Bayreuth is available featuring Birgit Nilsson, who sang the remainder of the Brünnhildes in the cycle. At her absolute prime, Nilsson brings both overwhelming power and youthful exuberance to the role. Jerome Hines, long a Met "house bass," reveals extraordinary nuance and command as Wotan, a performance that highlights the full breadth of his talents. Wolfgang Windgassen offers a sweet-toned, lyric Siegmund, while Gottlob Frick nearly steals the show as Hunding, snarling through his lines with gripping menace. Hertha Töpper adds an unusually seductive edge to Fricka's righteous indignation.

By contrast, Aase Nordmo Løvberg's Sieglinde feels somewhat underwhelming, especially next to such compelling performances. It's unfortunate that Ingrid Bjoner, consigned to Helmwige, wasn't given the opportunity to shine more prominently. The sound quality of this Walküre does not quite match the rest of the cycle, though it remains fully listenable.