Wagner: Die Walküre Act III (1954) Furtwängler

Richard Wagner
Die Walküre
Act III
1. Scene I
2. Scene II
3. Scene III
Siegmund: Ludwig Suthaus
Sieglinde: Leonie Rysanek
Wotan:Ferdinand Frantz
Brünnhilde:Martha Mödl
Hunding :Gottlob Frick
Fricka:Margarete Klose
Gerhilde:Gerda Scheyrer
Ortlinde: Judith Hellwig
Waltraute:Dagmar Schmedes
Schwertleite: Ruth Siewert
Helmwige:Erika Köth
Siegrune:Hertha Töpper
Grimgerde:Johanna Blatter
Roßweiße:Dagmar Hermann
Wilhelm Furtwängler, Conductor
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Recorded on September 28 - October 6, 1954
at the Grosser Saal, Musikverein, Vienna
The original intention was to record a complete Ring Cycle, but Furtwängler passed away less than two months after this session in November, 1954. What remains is not only Furtwängler's last major studio recording, but an immortal, and often talked about, performance. It is presented here for the first time in full acoustic resolution.
Digital transfer (2021): Studio Art & Son, Annecy
Field acoustic restoration (2024): Paul Howard - The Yucaipa Studio
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[@TheGratefulDeadhead]

Absolutely wonderful. Furtwängler understands this music like no other. Thank you for this absolute gem of a recording!!

[@leestamm3187]

Great sound on these. I'm not a huge opera fan, but I made an exception for this one because I knew Furtwängler got the best from the music and his performers. Thanks, Paul.

[@RS3DArchive]

Thanks, Lee. I will be doing more opera, I think. I have just dug into the Knappertsbusch Parsifal from '51. (Damn, It's good!) It's such a big project that it will take weeks to complete. I also plan to revisit some Italian opera, too. Of course there is plenty of other repertoire in front of us, including more Sibelius in the near future.

[@peterheisler4648]

Furtwaengler's last recording

[@RS3DArchive]

Not sure about that. I read that it was his last recording of the Haydn Variations by Brahms. But it doesn't really matter, anyway.