Wagner: Götterdämmerung - Varnay, Hopf, Frick, Cordes, Meyfarth, Kraus, Välkki; Kempe. Bayreuth, 1963
$18.95
Description:
Astrid Varnay, though nearing the end of her soprano career, proves she still has the vocal and dramatic firepower to deliver a commanding Brünnhilde. Her performance is deeply felt and impeccably sung, marked by intelligence, stamina, and stagecraft honed over decades in the role.
Gottlob Frick offers a chillingly machiavellian Hagen—dark, calculating, and vocally rock solid. His performance is a benchmark for the role. Otakar Kraus appears only briefly as Alberich, but his snarling urgency and bitter presence nearly steal the scene. Few can make so much of so little stage time.
Rudolf Kempe conducts with sincerity and restraint, pacing the evening with a steady hand and avoiding any hint of ego or affectation. His approach allows the drama to unfold naturally and the singers to shine.
The one weak(er) link is Hans Hopf. Vocally, he delivers a remarkably sturdy Siegfried, though his interpretation lacks a certain pliability and emotional shading, coming across as a bit wooden.
In Mono
OD 11539-4
