Wagner: Siegfried [New York: January 30, 1937: Lauritz Melchior, Kirsten Flagstad, Friedrich Schorr, Kerstin Thorborg, Karl Laufkoetter, Eduard Habich, Emanuel List, Stella Andreva; Artur Bodanzky] Superbly remastered on the Guild Historical label in 2002!
On Guild GHCD 2207/9; 3 CD's; Lauritz Melchior was the greatest Siegfried ever, and here he is in full cry in the only preserved complete performance of the role, which must be heard to be believed!! Guild's remastering is superb and accompanied by their exhaustive background notes. Richard Caniell writes of this performance, "There has never been a performance of 'Siegfried' such as this, what with Melchior's exultant and golden-voiced Siegfried; Laufkoetter's marvelously duplicitous, yet strangely touching Mime; Schorr's legendary Wotan, all wisdom, warmth and intelligence, sung with an expressiveness touched with grandeur; Flagstad's radiant Brunnhilde; Thorborg's troubled and prophetic Erda; and Habich's implacably vindictive Alberich. To have all the leading exponents of each role together in the same performance is truly the Golden Age of Wagner, glorious beyond imagination." "The Rough Guide To Opera" says that "Artur Bodanzky's breathtaking 1937...broadcast of 'Siegfried' with Melchior and Flagstad, has rarely been equalled as a performance....[t]he sense of occasion is truly electrifying. Melchoir is in absolutely outstanding voice, conveying all of Siegfried's heroic dimensions and emotional vicissitudes through vocal splendor alone. As well as Flagstad's radiant Brunnhilde, the sterling cast also includes Friedrich Schorr--the greatest of all Wagnerian baritones--as the Wanderer. His matchless sense of line and firm tone bring a true sense of majesty to the role. No less impressive are Kerstin Thorborg as Erda, Eduard Habich as Alberich and Emanuel List as Fafner. All told, this was as near ideal casting as it was possible to get at the time and constitutes a veritable feast of singing." As well, the recording includes the quaintly loveable narration of the inimitable Milton Cross.
Wagner  (Composer),     Bodanzky  (Conductor),     Melchior  (Performer),     Flagstad  (Performer),     Schorr  (Performer),     Thorgorg  (Performer),     Laufkoetter  (Performer),     Habich  (Performer),     List  (Performer),     Andreva  (Performer),     Richard Wagner  (Composer),     Artur Bodanzky  (Conductor),     Lauritz Melchior  (Performer),     Friedrich Schorr  (Performer),     Kirsten Flagstad  (Performer),     Karl Laufkoetter  (Performer),     Eduard Habich  (Performer),     Kirsten Thorborg  (Performer),     Emanuel List  (Performer),     Stella Andreva  (Performer)    &                   15                  more   Format: Audio CD
{"Product Dimensions": "2.95 x 0.98 x 5.51 inches; 0.01 Ounces", "Manufacturer": "Guild", "Date First Available": "February 26, 2009", "Label": "Guild", "Number of discs": "3"}