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This recording finds the forces of the Bavarian State Opera in excellent form. Jean Cox lends his Heldentenor to the title role and fairs less well than he did earlier in the decade when he was the house Siegfried at Bayreuth, but despite some fatigue in the last act there is still enough of the youthful sheen that distinguished him from many of his Wagnerian colleagues. Ingrid Bjoner is radiant as Brünnhilde. Not only does she seem to relish every high C, she manages a beautifully spun ”Ewig war ich” with the finesse of a bel canto specialist. Leir Roar’s youthful baritone is not necessarily ideal casting for the world wary Wanderer but he really impresses in the Act III confrontation with Siegfried. Janet Perry stands out as a radiant Forest Bird. The recording is in good stereo sound although at times the voices can sound distant when they are upstage and there are a few 1 second drop-outs throughout.
OD 11274-3