Keilberth's Götterdämmerung is lead with a no-nonsense approach that may not appeal to all listeners. He tells the story without commenting unduly on every episode; he knows where to linger and where to push on. His cast is great although not quite as unified in concept as they would be in future seasons. Varnay completes her portrayal with a superbly sung, three-dimensional Brünnhilde. The top C at the end of the Prologue is one for the record books. Lorenz, a veteran of many Bayreuth seasons, is past his vocal prime, but still sings with panache and ringing top notes. He ducks the high C in Act 2 and heaves his way to same note in Act 3, sustaining the note for awhile, then sliding down from it. Rhythmically he is all over the place, but his years of experience with this music are very telling. This was Greindl's first outing as Hagen at Bayreuth; he is in his best voice and is already formidable (he would sing the role for many cycles in Bayreuth for nearly two decades). Uhde is a great Gunther while Mödl actually makes something specific of Gutrune (Wieland Wagner liked darker voiced Gutrunes at this time). Neidlinger makes the most of Alberich's brief appearance in Act 2. Siewert is a moving Waltraute though she runs into some vocal difficulties on her final high A. The Norns and Rhinedaughters are all first-rate.The 1952 Ring cycle isn't as well-known as some of the later cycles (Opera Depot has nearly all of them). The sound is again excellent.