This is “historical” recording with a vengeance. The sonics are horrible. Taken from decayed acetates, the level of swish and static is not only high, but constantly variable, which makes it incredibly distracting. As for what you can actually hear of the music, well, this is the Royal Albert Aircraft Hangar…er, Hall. Kirsten Flagstad manages to stay on top of the orchestra most of the time; the instrumental contribution is basically a coagulated mass of dull tone behind her, though matters improve now and then in the two Wagner extracts.
The performances, as you might expect, are pretty thrilling. Furtwängler’s quick tempos help Flagstad get through the tougher moments in the Strauss songs (Beim Schlafengehen especially) with both dignity and opulent tone intact; but let’s face it, Frühling, placed third, needs more lyrical expansiveness, and the long instrumental coda to Im Abendrot barely registers amid the sputtering, splattering sonics. The Wagner excerpts have to compete with Flagstad’s complete Tristan and Ring performances, both with Furtwängler, and both featuring incomparably finer sound (that 1950 La Scala Ring is modern digital next to this). For diehard fans only. [6/20/2007]
