Wagner: Götterdämmerung - Mödl (last Brünnhilde), Hopf, Symonette, Giongio, Hoffman; Quennet. Düsseldorf, 1966
$18.95
Description:
Although Martha Mödl had largely transitioned away from the soprano repertoire by this point in her career, she agreed to step in for an ailing Astrid Varnay at the last minute—resulting in what would be her final appearance as Brünnhilde. Her voice was clearly compromised, and there are moments where she revoices the vocal line mid-phrase to preserve stamina. Still, Mödl delivers flashes of her former brilliance: moments of astonishing power, unexpected beauty, and her trademark dramatic intensity make this a performance that lingers in the memory despite its imperfections. Hans Hopf brings strength and vitality to Siegfried with his burly tenor, while Randolph Symonette is far more convincing as Hagen than he was earlier in the cycle as Wotan. Grace Hoffman offers a vivid and memorable cameo as Waltraute. The sound does suffer from a lack of depth and intermittent drop-outs, but the raw theatrical impact remains undeniable.
In Mono
OD 11702-4
