Search - Lotte Lehmann, Lauritz Melchior, Emanuel List :: Wagner: Die Walküre, Act 1

This CD is not just a ''must'' for all true Wagner devotees, it is sure to be of great interest to all lovers of historic recordings whether they follow great conductors of the century, nforgettable vocal soloists or illustrious orchestras like the Vienna Philharmonic. On June 22, 1935, the star Wagner cast of all time assembled in a Vienna studio to record the first act and the Siegmund/Sieglinde scenes of the second act from ''The Valkyrie'' by Richard Wagner, as yet unaware that their recording would acquire a cult following and benchmark status. This was the lineup: the unsurpassed Danish heroic tenor Lauritz Melchior as Siegmund, the richly expressive soprano Lotte Lehmann as Sieglinde and one of the darkest and gloomiest basses ever recorded, Emanuel List, as Hunding. True, the Thirties sound lacks the polished stereo perfection of the presentday, but the original tracks have been subjected to very careful and thorough restoration. The recording is brought to life by its dramatic fire. Lauritz Melchior, always in a class of his own, invests Siegm und with consuming intensity and brings out the expressiveness of the tiniest details. Lotte Lehmann transmits the full brilliance of her wonderful, lyrical voice. Emanuel List gives Hunding the dark eminence of a shadowy statue, powerful in sound and hreateningly sinister in tone. And all this takes place under the expert baton of conductor Bruno Walter, who inspires the Vienna Phil to give of their very best a life-changing experience of music drama and the crowning achievement among all historic Wagner recordings.