# Das Rheingold discography

This is a partial discography of Das Rheingold, the first of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner.
The length of the Ring cycle meant that in the pre-LP days (before 1948) recordings from the Ring operas were largely confined to excerpts. In 1929 Franz von Hoesslin and the Walther Staram Concert Orchestra issued recorded excerpts from Das Rheingold on five 78rpm discs. The first recording of the complete Rheingold was taken from a New York Metropolitan Opera production in 1937, with Artur Bodanzky conducting. Most of the recordings that followed it were also taken from live performances, often from the Bayreuth Festival. The first studio recording was that of Georg Solti with the Vienna Philharmonic in 1958 – part of Solti's Ring cycle recording which was not completed until 1966.

## Recordings

The table below is arranged by date of recording; issue dates were often many years after the recording itself. Some of the items have been subject to multiple reissues; generally, recording label details relate to currently available CD versions.
| Year | Cast Alberich Wotan Fricka Loge Freia Fasolt Fafner Donner Froh Erda Mime | Conductor, Opera house and orchestra | Label |
| 1937 | Eduard Habich Friedrich Schorr Karin Branzell René Maison Dorothee Manski Norman Cordon Emanuel List Julius Huehn Hans Clemens Doris Doe Karl Laufkötter | Artur Bodanzky Metropolitan Opera orchestra and chorus | CD: Naxos Historical Cat: 8.110047-48 Mono |
| 1947 | Fred Destal Herbert Janssen Elsa Cavelti Set Svanholm Nilda Hofmann Jorge Dantón Emanuel List Angelo Mattiello Umberto di Toto Lydia Kinderman Roberto Maggiolo | Erich Kleiber Teatro Colón orchestra and chorus | CD: Gebhardt Cat: JGCD 0036 |
| 1948 | Jean Stern Carl Kronenberg Carin Carlsson Joachim Sattler Meta Maria Kopp Otto von Rohr Wolfgang Etterer Günther Ambrosius Kurt Wolinsky Maria-Luise Schirp Willy Hofmann | Winfried Zillig Orchester des Hessischen Rundfunks | CD: Cantus Classics Cat: 500074 |
| 1948 | Adolf Vogel Ferdinand Frantz Elisabeth Höngen Julius Pölzer Ilona Steingruber Marjan Rus Herbert Alsen Alfred Poell Willy Friedrich Rosette Anday William Wernigk | Rudolf Moralt Vienna Symphony | CD: Myto Cat: MCD00188 Mono |
| 1950 | Alois Pernerstorfer Ferdinand Frantz Elisabeth Höngen Joachim Sattler Walburga Wegner Ludwig Weber Albert Emmerich Angelo Mattiello Günther Treptow Margret Weth-Falke Emil Markwort | Wilhelm Furtwängler Teatro alla Scala orchestra and chorus | CD: Opera d'Oro / Archipel Records Cat: OPD1501 / ARPCD0413 (complete Ring) Mono, Live |
| 1950 | Rolf Heide Ferdinand Frantz Aga Joetsen Joachim Sattler Hertha Wilfert Otto von Rohr Helmut Fehn Sanders Schier Heinrich Bensing Marie-Luise Schilp Willy Hofmann | Kurt Schröder Orchester des Hessischen Rundfunks | CD: Preiser Records Cat: 90450 |
| 1952 | Gustav Neidlinger Hermann Uhde Ira Malaniuk Erich Witte Inge Borkh Ludwig Weber Josef Greindl Werner Faulhaber Wolfgang Windgassen Melanija Bugarinović Paul Kuën | Joseph Keilberth Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus Recording at Bayreuth Festival | CD: EMI Cat: CZS 7 67124 2 Mono, Live |
| 1952 | Gustav Neidlinger Ferdinand Frantz Res Fischer Wolfgang Windgassen Lore Hoffmann Gottlob Frick Josef Greindl Josef Metternich Rudolf Schock Res Fischer Paul Kuën | Wilhelm Schüchter NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra | CD: Gebhardt Cat: JGCD 0054-2 |
| 1953 | Gustav Neidlinger Ferdinand Frantz Ira Malaniuk Wolfgang Windgassen Elisabeth Grümmer Josef Greindl Gottlob Frick Alfred Poell Lorenz Fehenberger Ruth Siewert Julius Patzak | Wilhelm Furtwängler Orchestra Sonfonica e Coro della RAI | CD: Angel, Cat: CDZM 67213 (complete Ring) Mono |
| 1953 | Gustav Neidlinger Hans Hotter Ira Malaniuk Erich Witte Bruni Falcon Ludwig Weber Josef Greindl Hermann Uhde Gerhard Stolze Erika Zimmermann Paul Kuën | Clemens Krauss Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus Recording at Bayreuth Festival | CD: Gala, Cat: 100.519 Mono, Live |
| 1955 | Gustav Neidlinger Hans Hotter Georgine von Milinkovič Rudolf Lustig Hertha Wilfert Ludwig Weber Josef Greindl Toni Blankenheim Josef Traxel Maria von Ilosvay Paul Kuën | Joseph Keilberth Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus Recording at Bayreuth Festival | CD: Testament Cat: SBT21390 Stereo, Live |
| 1957 | Gustav Neidlinger Hans Hotter Georgine von Milinkovič Ludwig Suthaus Elisabeth Grümmer Arnold van Mill Josef Greindl Toni Blankenheim Josef Traxel Maria von Ilosvay Paul Kuën | Hans Knappertsbusch Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus Recording at Bayreuth Festival | CD: Walhall Cat: WLCD 0216 Mono, Live |
| 1957 | Otakar Kraus Hans Hotter Georgine von Milinkovič Erich Witte Elisabeth Lindermeier Kurt Böhme Friedrich Dalberg Robert Allman Maria von Ilosvay Peter Klein | Rudolf Kempe Royal Opera House orchestra and chorus | CD: Testament Cat: SBT131426 (complete Ring) Mono, Live |
| 1957 | Lawrence Davidson Hermann Uhde Blanche Thebom Ramón Vinay Mariquita Moll Kurt Böhme Dezső Ernster Arthur Budney James McCracken Jean Madeira Norman Kelley | Fritz Stiedry Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera | CD: Walhall Cat: WLCD 232 |
| 1958 | Gustav Neidlinger George London Kirsten Flagstad Set Svanholm Claire Watson Walter Kreppel Kurt Böhme Eberhard Wächter Waldemar Kmentt Jean Madeira Paul Kuën | Georg Solti Vienna Philharmonic | CD: Decca Cat: 4780382 Stereo |
| 1958 | Frans Andersson Hans Hotter Rita Gorr Fritz Uhl Elisabeth Grümmer Theo Adam Josef Greindl Eric Saedén Sándor Kónya Maria von Ilosvay Gerhard Stolze | Hans Knappertsbusch Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus Recording at Bayreuth Festival | CD: Walhall Cat: WLCD 0246 Mono, Live |
| 1959 | Otakar Kraus Hans Hotter Ursula Boese Richard Holm Una Hale Kurt Böhme Michael Langdon David Kelley Edgar Evans Marga Höffgen Peter Klein | Franz Konwitschny Royal Opera House orchestra and chorus | CD: Walhall Cat: WLCD0334 Live 18 Sept 1959 |
| 1962 | Zoltán Kelemen George London Elisabeth Schärtel Herbert Schachtschneider Ingeborg Kjellgren Gerd Nienstedt Heiner Horn Karl Sablotzke Hermann Winkler Helen Raab Erwin Wohlfahrt | Wolfgang Sawallisch Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne | CD: Living Stage Cat: LS 1004 Mono, Live |
| 1963 | Otakar Kraus Otto Wiener Grace Hoffman Gerhard Stolze Jutta Mayfarth Walter Kreppel Peter Roth-Ehrang Marcel Cordes Horst Wilhelm Marga Höffgen Eric Klaus | Rudolf Kempe Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus Recording at Bayreuth Festival | Published by houseofopera.com Mono, Live |
| 1966 | Gustav Neidlinger Theo Adam Annelies Burmeister Wolfgang Windgassen Anja Silja Martti Talvela Kurt Böhme Gerd Nienstedt Hermin Esser Věra Soukupová Erwin Wohlfahrt | Karl Böhm Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus Recording at Bayreuth Festival | CD: Philips Cat: 412 475-2 Stereo, Live |
| 1967 | Zoltán Kelemen Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau Josephine Veasey Gerhard Stolze Simone Mangelsdorff Martti Talvela Karl Ridderbusch Robert Kerns Donald Grobe Oralia Domínguez Erwin Wohlfahrt | Herbert von Karajan Berlin Philharmonic | CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 457 781-2 Stereo |
| 1968 | Theo Adam Zoltán Kelemen Janis Martin Herbert Schachtschneider Leonore Kirschstein Gerd Nienstedt Karl Ridderbusch Thomas Tipton Hermann Winkler Oralia Domínguez Erwin Wohlfahrt | Wolfgang Sawallisch RAI Roma | CD: Myto Cat: MCD 054 316 |
| 1974 | Franz Mazura Donald McIntyre Anna Reynolds Hermin Esser Hannelore Bode Karl Ridderbusch Kurt Moll Gerd Nienstedt Heribert Steinbach Marga Höffgen Heinz Zednik | Horst Stein Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus Recording at Bayreuth Festival | CD: Opera Depot Cat: OD 10185-2 |
| 1974 | Derek Hammond-Stroud Norman Bailey Katherine Pring Emile Belcourt Lois McDonall Robert Lloyd Clifford Grant Norman Welsby Robert Ferguson Anne Collins Gregory Dempsey | Reginald Goodall English National Opera Recorded in English | CD: Chandos Cat: CHAN 3054 |
| 1980 | Hermann Becht Donald McIntyre Hanna Schwarz Heinz Zednik Carmen Reppel Matti Salminen Fritz Hübner Martin Egel Siegfried Jerusalem Ortrun Wenkel Helmut Pampuch | Pierre Boulez Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus Recording at Bayreuth Festival | CD: Philips Cat: 434 422-2 Stereo |
| 1983 | Siegmund Nimsgern Theo Adam Yvonne Minton Peter Schreier Marita Napier Roland Bracht Matti Salminen Karl-Heinz Stryczek Eberhard Büchner Ortrun Wenkel Christian Vogel | Marek Janowski Staatskapelle Dresden orchestra and chorus | CD: RCA Cat: B00011MJV6 (RCA reissue) (complete Ring) Stereo |
| 1988 | Ekkehard Wlaschiha James Morris Christa Ludwig Siegfried Jerusalem MarieAnne Häggander Kurt Moll Jan-Hendrik Rootering Siegfried Lorenz Mark Baker Birgitta Svendén Heinz Zednik | James Levine Metropolitan Opera orchestra and chorus | CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 445 295-2 Stereo |
| 1989 | Theo Adam James Morris Marjana Lipovšek Heinz Zednik Eva Johansson Hans Tschammer Kurt Rydl Andreas Schmidt Peter Seiffert Jadwiga Rappé Peter Haage | Bernard Haitink Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra Bayerischen Rundfunks chorus | CD: EMI Cat: CDS 7 49853 2 Stereo |
| 1991 | Ekkehard Wlaschiha Robert Hale Marjana Lipovšek Robert Tear Nancy Gustafson Jan-Hendrik Rootering Kurt Moll Florian Cerny Josef Hopferwieser Hanna Schwarz Helmut Pampuch | Wolfgang Sawallisch Bavarian State Opera orchestra and chorus Recording at National Theater, Munich, November | CD: EMI Cat: 724357273121 (complete Ring) Stereo, Live |
| 1991 | Günter von Kannen John Tomlinson Linda Finnie Graham Clark Eva Johansson Matthias Hölle Philip Kang Bodo Brinkmann Kurt Schreibmayer Birgitta Svendén Helmut Pampuch | Daniel Barenboim Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus | CD: Teldec Cat: 4509 91185 2 Stereo, Live |
| 1993 | Franz-Josef Kapellmann Robert Hale Hanna Schwarz Kim Begley Nancy Gustafson Jan-Hendrik Rootering Walter Fink Eike Wilm Schulte Thomas Sunnegårdh Elena Zaremba Peter Schreier | Christoph von Dohnányi Cleveland Orchestra | CD: Decca Cat: 443 690-2 Stereo |
| 2002 | Esa Ruuttunen Wolfgang Probst Michaela Schuster Robert Künzli Helga Rós Indridadóttir Roland Bracht Phillip Ens Motti Kastón Bernhard Schneider Mette Ejsing Eberhard Francesco Lorenz | Lothar Zagrosek Staatsoper Stuttgart orchestra and chorus Recordings at Württembergische Staatsoper | CD: Naxos Records Cat: 8.660170-71 Stereo, Live |
| 2003 /2004 | Günter von Kannen Falk Struckmann Lioba Braun Graham Clark Elisabete Matos Kwangchul Youn Matthias Hölle Wolfgang Rauch Jeff Dowd Andrea Bönig Francisco Vas | Bertrand de Billy Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu Recordings at the Liceu, Barcelona | DVD: Opus Arte ASIN: B000IFRPY6 Surround Sound, Live |
| 2004 | John Wegner John Bröcheler Elizabeth Campbell Christopher Doig Kate Ladner Andrew Collis David Hibbard Timothy DuFore Andrew Brunsdon Liane Keegan Richard Greager | Asher Fisch Adelaide Symphony Orchestra | CD: Melba Recordings Cat: 301089-90 |
| 2007 | Franz-Josef Kapellmann Juha Uusitalo Anna Larsson John Daszak Sabina von Walter Matti Salminen Stephen Milling Ilya Bannik Germán Villar Christa Mayer Gerhard Siegel | Zubin Mehta Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciano | DVD and Blu-ray: C Major Cat: 700508 Surround Sound, Live |
| 2008 | Wolfgang Koch Falk Struckmann Katja Pieweck Peter Galliard Hellen Kwon Tigran Martirossian Alexander Tsymbalyuk Jan Buchwald Ladislav Elgr Deborah Humble Jürger Sacher | Simone Young Philharmoniker Hamburg | CD: Oehms Classics CAT: OC 929 Stereo, Live |
| 2009 | Andrew Shore Albert Dohmen Michelle Breedt Arnold Bezuyen Edith Haller Kwangchul Youn Hans-Peter König Ralf Lukas Clemens Bieber Christa Mayer Gerhard Siegel | Christian Thielemann Bayreuth Festival Orchestra and chorus Recording at Bayreuth Festival | CD: Opus Arte Cat: OACD9000BD Stereo (SACD), Live |
| 2010 | Jochen Schmeckenbecher Terje Stensvold Martina Dike Kurt Streit Barbara Zechmeister Alfred Reiter Magnus Baldvinsson Dietrich Volle Richard Cox Meredith Arwady Hans-Jürgen Lazar | Sebastian Weigle Frankfurt Opera orchestra | CD: Oehms Cat: OC 935 Stereo Live |
| 2011 | Tomasz Konieczny Albert Dohmen Janina Baechle Adrian Eröd Alexandra Reinprecht Lars Woldt Ain Anger Markus Eiche Herbert Lippert Anna Larsson Wolfgang Schmidt | Christian Thielemann Vienna State Opera orchestra and chorus | CD: Deutsche Grammophon Stereo, Live |
| 2012 | Nikolai Putilin René Pape Ekaterina Gubanova Stephan Rügamer Viktoria Yastrebova Jewgeni Nikotin Mikail Petrenko Alexei Markov Sergei Semishkur Zlata Bulycheva Andrei Popov | Valery Gergiev Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra | CD: Mariinsky Cat: MAR 0526 Stereo |
| 2013 | Jochen Schmeckenbecher Tomasz Konieczny Iris Vermillion Christian Elsner Ricarda Merbeth Günther Groissböck Timo Riihonen Antonio Yang Kor-Jan Dusseljee Maria Radner Andreas Conrad | Marek Janowski Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra Berlin Radio Choir Live recording at Berlin Philharmonie, 22 November 2012 | SACD: Pentatone Cat: PTC 5186406 Stereo (SACD), Live |
| 2013 | Richard Paul Fink Greer Grimsley Stephanie Blythe Mark Schowalter Wendy Bryn Harmer Andrea Silvestrelli Daniel Sumegi Markus Brück Ric Furman Lucille Beer Dennis Peterson | Asher Fisch Seattle Symphony orchestra and chorus | CD: Avie Records Cat: AVR 2313 Stereo, Live |
| 2015 | Peter Sidhom Matthias Goerne Michelle DeYoung Kim Begley Anna Samuil Kwangchul Youn Stephen Milling Oleksandr Pushniak Charles Reid Deborah Humble David Cangelosi | Jaap van Zweden Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra | CD: Naxos Cat: 866037475 Stereo, Live |
| 2015 | Tomasz Konieczny Michael Volle Elisabeth Kulman Burkhard Ulrich Annette Dasch Peter Rose Eric Halfvarson Christian van Horn Benjamin Bruns Janina Baechle Herwig Pecoraro | Simon Rattle Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra | CD: BR Klassics Cat: 900133 Stereo, Live |
| 2016 | Samuel Youn Iain Paterson Susan Bickley Will Hartmann Emma Bell Reinhard Hagen Clive Bayley David Stout David Butt Philip Susanne Resmark Nicky Spence | Mark Elder The Hallé | CD: Hallé Cat: CDHLD 7549 Stereo, Live |
| 2020 | Jochen Schmeckenbecher James Rutherford Katarzyna Kuncio Raymond Very Sylvia Hamvasi Thorsten Grümbel Łukasz Konieczny David Jerusalem Bernhard Berchtold Ramona Zaharia Florian Simson | Axel Kober Duisburg Philharmonic | CD: cAvi |