Wagner: Die Walküre

Hans Knappertsbusch led Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen four times at the Bayreuth Festival: first at the 1951 postwar reopening festival and then again in 1956, 1957, and 1958. While recordings of the later performances had circulated widely on pirate labels in the LP era, aside from Music & Arts' superb release of the 1956 cycle, Knappertsbusch Rings have been few and far between in the CD era. This 2007 Urania three-disc set restored his 1957 Die Walküre to circulation, and anyone who idolizes Wagner and hasn't heard this performance should check it out. The cast is superlative. Of the men, Ramón Vinay is an ardently impetuous Siegmund, Hans Hotter is a nobly tragic Wotan, and Josef Greindl is a brutally menacing Hunding. Of the women, Birgit Nilsson at the start of her international career is a very human Sieglinde, Astrid Varnay at the peak of her powers is a very passionate Brünnhilde, and Georgine von Milinkovic at the end of her patience is a very-much-sinned-against Fricka. Best of all is Knappertsbusch's direction. No other conductor had the feel for Wagnerian flow that Knappertsbusch did, and this Walküre moves strongly and confidently from start to finish. And no other conductor had the feel for Wagnerian tragedy that Knappertsbusch did, and this Walküre is as dark and unrelenting as fate itself. The Bayreuth Orchestra is wonderfully alert and responsive to Knappertsbusch, and its tone is richly textured and lushly colorful. Although Urania's sound is dim, harsh, and gray, this set will still be mandatory listening for Wagner's idolaters. ~ James Leonard, All Music Guide