It’s remarkable to think that Astrid Varnay was not yet thirty when she sang this performance of Götterdämmerung. Her voice is absolutely gleaming and enormous, and her command of Wagnerian style is impeccable. Having worked with the likes of Melchior, Traubel, and Flagstad, she certainly had exceptional role models.

Set Svanholm brings a lyrical approach to Siegfried, at times singing with a Mozartian elegance, and even delivering a surprisingly solid high C in Act III. Emanuel List has to make some adjustments in the upper register to get through Hagen’s role, but his voice remains suitably dark.

That said, the real star of the evening is Erich Kleiber. His tempos are brisk without feeling rushed, and he draws moments of unexpected grace and playfulness from the orchestra. The sound quality is what one would expect from a 1940s radio broadcast.