The year was 1953, and all was right with the world. Germany, or at least its Western half, was in the full swing of post-War reconstruction; the Cold War was just getting started; anti-communist fever was sweeping the United States; and best of all, the Nazis (or at least those not living in South America and trying to clone Hitler) were back where they belonged: at Bayreuth. Okay, just kidding folks. But really, what else is there to say about the justly acclaimed Krauss Ring? It arguably has the best cast ever assembled, including Astrid Varnay’s Brünnhilde, Hans Hotter’s Wotan, Wolfgang Windgassen’s Siegfried, Regina Resnik’s Sieglinde, and Gustav Neidlinger’s Alberich. All are at the top of their form, and Krauss leads the orchestra in an interpretation that effortlessly catches the music’s ebb and flow. This performance has fewer dead spots than just about any other, and while the mono sound is limited, it never gets between you and the performance, with the voices clearly caught. It’s all been repackaged in a handy slim box with terrific notes by Classicstoday.com’s own Robert Levine. A must-have for Ringers everywhere.
