If you haven't heard the young Gwyneth Jones you owe it to yourself to hear this performance. Her voice is sleek and beautiful without any of the unsettled tone that plagued her by the end of the decade. Her accounts of Sieglinde's big musical moments are all memorable. Her Siegmund, Ernst Kozub, is equally marvelous, singing with ringing tone and phrasing very sensitively. What a pity the Siegfried in the Solti/Culshaw studio Ring didn't work out (I've always suspected there was more to the story than Culshaw let on). Solti must've been pleased with his work on this occasion. David Ward is a terrific Wotan, keeping our interest throughout his long monologue in Act Two and singing the last scene with great beauty. Veasey builds on her already distinguished Fricka from Das Rheingold; she really is a blistering force to be reckoned with. Langdon is a first-rate Hunding and the Act Three Valkyrie ensemble is one of the best I've heard (look at those names!) Solti is more interesting in this performance, perhaps because he couldn't retake sections multiple times.The sound is very good for the most part. Someone stitched on the last couple of bars of Act Two from another source, probably because it was lost on the master. No matter - this is a very distinguished performance. I look forward to Siegfried!

I can't believe I forgot to mention Amy Shuard's great performance in the review below! She sings very beautifully with an exciting war cry and a confident, mature handling of the Todesverkundigung scene with Kozub. This Brunnhilde suited her better than the other two at this point in her career; her performance fully justifies the high reputation she held at Covent Garden at this time.

This is an amazing performance in very good sound. The dramatic quality shoots straight out of the speakers while the quality of the singing leaves the majority of today’s performers standing. Shuard’s battle cry will make your hair stand on end. Pinpointedly accurate with stunning top C’s and B’s in a shining silvery sound with not an ounce of vibrato. Much of the role lays fairly low and again the beauty of her phrasing and dramatic understanding make it a most moving and feminine assumption. Matching her with a creamy legato is Jones’s Sieglinde – one of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard – and I think her first. Both Shuard and Jones bring an Italianate bel canto approach to their roles. These are great interpretations. Kozub, like Shuard, an unfairly underrated performer is a strong Siegmund whose powerful baritonal tenor can still shade into a gentle mezza voce as in the Zauberfest monologue. David Ward is a subtle and at times frightening Wotan whose beautiful bass voice is beautifully scaled to the demands of the role. Add to this the excellent Fricka and Hunding of Veasey and Langdon and Solti at his theatrical best (so much better than the famous recording) this set, live opera at its very best is highly recommended.