Ring Des Nibelungen

DG's 20-bit transfer reveals more tape hiss than before, while the orchestral image is better focused, with more definition at the bottom end. Some have likened Herbert von Karajan's "chamber-music approach" to Wagner's Ring cycle in terms of his scaling down or deconstructing the heroic roles. This approach has less to do with dynamics per se than it does with von Karajan's masterful balancing of voices and instruments. He achieves revelations of horizontal clarity, allowing no contrapuntal strand to emerge with an unwanted accent or a miscalibrated dynamic…

I t was said that George Szell was a perfectionist and this CD proves it! These performances are probably as excellent as any your going to hear. Although the recordings are dated, they actually sound better than many modern digital recordings. His “Das Rheingold” is a sonic masterpiece and is possibly the best version ever recorded! Very powerful and brilliant, and it closely resembles a thunderstorm!