How many times do most of us truly enjoy a performance of Siegfried? This recording did it for me. All of the singers are excellent and though the voices are slightly recessed they are very audible over the orchestra (even Fafner). Hermin Esser sang at Bayreuth and had a successful career in Europe. His voice may not have been big enough for this role in larger houses, but he sounds just fine here. He is one of the few Siegfrieds who makes it all the way to the top C at his entrance and his voice is steady and attractive for the rest of the opera. Dernesch continues on with Brunnhilde; I think she sounds more at ease with Wallat than Karajan. She chooses to sing the lower C at the very end, but her other high notes are quite good.Vermeersch finishes his role with a beautifully sung Wanderer (Wallat makes the traditional cut in the Wanderer-Siegfried scene ). Hubert Mohler is a terrific Mime, singing with poise, fire, and excellent diction. Kelemen shows why he was so admired as Alberich. Harald Stamm and Eva Tamassy sing their roles with real distinction. I was a little disappointed that Margaret Neville wasn't the Woodbird (she is the Woglinde in this cycle), but Ingrid Wurtz-Rattunde sings very sweetly.There are a few drop-outs where the tape had to be turned over, but nothing major is lost. Again, the sound is listenable and shouldn't deter anyone from getting this recording. Now let's see how Gotterdammerung turns out!