The biggest drawback for me are all the cuts. De Sabata makes 9 cuts (nearly 800 measures!) Unfortunately this was the practice for many years. Even Bohm's famous performance from the Orange Festival in the 70's, has the once standard cut in the Act two . The excellent Knappertsbusch performance from Munich (July 23,1950),is the only non - Bayreuth performance from the time that is complete. And I don't understand the hype about Max Lorenz. I think he had an ugly voice. I wish De Sabata's 1939 Bayreuth performance was available: I'm sure it was complete.

The reason for purchasing this set is Grob-Prndl's Isolde. My Act I disc was faulty so I have only been able so far to hear the whole opera as a download. But I have heard Acts 2 & 3 on disc. I have to say that I have never understood why Max Lorenz is so well thought of. Although he has an enormous voice, it is not especially beautiful and I much prefer Melchior's. But, like Melchior, he can be very lazy over note values and unlike Melchior he doesn't sound to me very musical. Mind you, he is better in this than as Siegfried for Furtwangler. But Grob-Prandl is really, really good and I cannot understand why she is not more often spoken of as one of the great Wagnerian singers of this golden era. Was it that she never sang at Bayreuth - I can't recall her doing so but haven't checked. The sound quality isn't great. Nevertheless, I'm glad to have in my collection and I will return to it - if only for the Isolde.