Wagner: Siegfried (excerpts) - Svanholm, Frantz, Kuen, Langdon, Sutherland; Striedry. London, 1954
$9.95
Description:
This rare document of Siegfried features Set Svanholm in a performance that combines lyrical freedom with heroic power—his Siegfried is both vocally commanding and musically sensitive. Ferdinand Frantz brings elegance and gravitas to Wotan, his performance marked by poised authority rather than sheer force.
Adding a unique historical footnote is the appearance of a young Joan Sutherland as the Forest Bird, offering a glimpse of her crystalline soprano before her rise to international stardom. Unfortunately, the recording cuts off before Margaret Harshaw makes her entrance as Brünnhilde, leaving a significant part of the final act undocumented.
The sound is typical of the era—serviceable but limited in range—yet the performance retains its dramatic potency and historical value.
In Mono
OD 11490-2