This set offers a tantalizing glimpse of a Götterdämmerung featuring perhaps the greatest dramatic soprano of the twentieth century. Kirsten Flagstad, though slightly past her peak in 1948, still sings with remarkable assurance—even if the high C in the duet is omitted.

She is joined by Set Svanholm, who is especially compelling in the heroic passages. His vocal coloring at the end of Act I, when he appears in the form of Gunther, is unmatched by any other tenor I've heard. Ludwig Weber, in the prime of his career, delivers a suave yet dark-toned Hagen. Erich Kleiber leads an idiosyncratic but intense performance. One can only imagine how extraordinary a complete version might have been. Missing from this set is the Gutrune of Rose Bampton. Hans Hotter manages to have one line included.