Description:

When Herbert von Karajan cast Helga Dernesch as Brünnhilde in his recording of Der Ring des Nibelungen, he opted to have her sit out Die Walküre in favor of Régine Crespin. For those familiar with that cycle who have wondered how Dernesch would fare as the Walküre Brünnhilde, this recording offers the answer. She starts strong, delivering the demanding "Hojotohos" with confidence and agility. However, she shows some fatigue in the final act, where one might expect her to truly shine given the role’s lower tessitura.

The Sieglinde here is the radiant Claire Watson. While her instrument may not have been the most inherently beautiful, she conveys Sieglinde’s sensitivity with great nuance and does not hold back in her ecstatic outburst in Act III. She is well-matched by Eberhard Katz as Siegmund, whose lyric tenor complements Watson’s performance effectively. Jef Vermeersch takes on Wotan, and though his voice may be a touch light for the role, it possesses an attractive quality and an ease in the upper register.

BONUS:
Helga Dernesch sings Sieglinde's arias from Die Walküre
Tokyo, 1967

OD 10569-3