I'm an old historic recordings fan, so I put this a bit high than Mr. Reynold's very good review.So many Ring items from this period, through the 1960s are with Windgassen, so Svanholm is refreshing. Having both Janssen and List in the cast made my mouth water. Bampton, so under recorded, as Gutrune Made this a no brainer. A good solid Gotterdammerung that I will enjoy often

This is the second complete Ring opera from what I assume was a complete 1947 Buenos Aires Ring under Erich Kleiber. Though excerpts from Kleiber's 1938 Siegfried are available (available from Opera Depot), I don't know whether or not the '47 Walkure and Siegfried are extant and languishing in a private collector's vault somewhereAndy repitched the Rheingold successfully, but this Gotterdammerung does not sound like it consistently was given the same treatment. Overall the sound isn't bad; it is listenable, albeit with some fluctuations in volume and pitch. Varnay was not even thirty when she sang this yet she sounds like she has had a lifetime of experience. She caps the Dawn Duet with a thrilling top C and keeps that excitement up throughout her portrayal. Svanholm too sounds fresher than in some of his later performances. If he isn't the most penetrating of interpreters he paces himself admirably and justifies his reputation.List never had a beautiful voice - yet it works for Hagen. Some of his singing is a little approximate, but that was always so. Janssen and Bampton are very good, and Kinderman is a lyrical Waltraute who doesn't have the higher notes). Kleiber gets a move on and is very dramatic. There are many cuts in this performance: Act Two sounds like the score was nibbled by mice. Fred Destal's Alberich has half of his brief scene cut. The chorus sings in Italian. An enjoyable performance distinguished by Varnay's Brunnilde.