Ring Des Nibelungen

This magnificent compilation of the greatest Wagner singers and conductors of the 20s and early 30s is an absolute MUST for everyone who is remotely interrested in how Wagner was done in the past.
The greatest attractions are the magnificent interpretations of Friedrich Schorr, Frida Leider and the young Lauritz Melchior. Schorr sings Wotan in the excerpts from Die Walkure and Leider sings Brunnhilde. Melchior sings the young Siegfried.

Back in the glory days of early digital recordings, Ring cycles were being released fast and furiously. Old Rings were reissued with remastered sound – Solti's on Decca, Böhm's on Philips, and Furtwängler's on EMI – and new Rings were issued with digital sound – Levine's on Deutsche Grammophon, Barenboim's on Teldec, and Haitink's on EMI. Almost 20 years later, EMI re-released Haitink's Ring as a single 14-disc set with full cast lists, notes, and plot summaries, but without librettos.

Along with Furtwangler's Scala Ring, this is my favorite one. And since the sound is better, this one is easier to listen to. Krauss'"Siegfried" is my favorite. I will never understand why so many people consider Solti's Ring as benchmark. To me his is the least exciting. Karajan is too "precious." The characters never come alive in either of those, at least not like they do for Krauss and Furtwangler.