Previously issued on Preiser, Music & Arts issues this 1942 Götterdämmerung in comparable sound, but at less cost to the consumer (four discs for the price of three). In place of Preiser’s German-only annotations, we have Alan Blyth’s fair and frank assessment of this live broadcast’s vocal strengths and weaknesses. Wagner mavens surely will appreciate Friedrich Dalberg’s imposing and rich-toned Hagen, partnered by Egmont Koch as a rewarding Gunther. Apparently mezzo-soprano Camilla Kallab made no recordings. That’s a shame, for her Waltraute simply dominates the stage during the Act One Narrative. Set Svanholm’s only Bayreuth Siegfried is preserved here. Although his voice is a bit dry, his easy command of registral shifts and solid musicianship unfailingly project through the strident sonics. Martha Fuchs is an intelligent but vocally taxed Brunnhilde, whose leathery Immolation Scene is worth it primarily for Karl Elmendorff’s bedrock conducting. His perfect tempo choices and insidious transitions beckon one’s attention, and the orchestral playing improves as the opera progresses. All in all, Wagnerians with a historic bent will certainly want to hear this flawed but absorbing performance.
