Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen (Wilhelm Furtwangler, Italian Radio 1953, EMI)
Furtwängler's 1953Ringcycle, recorded "live" in the RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana) studios, one act at a time, for broadcast  purposes, is remastered here from the original tapes, in contrast to  vinyl pressings used for the original 1972 EMI LP release.  The noted  Wagnerian scholar Deryck Cooke best characterized the great  conductor's view of this magnum opus as a "stark, heavy, brooding  work, a profound tragedy set in a primitive world of ancient Teutonic  gods and heroes, to whom every action and event is of the utmost  existential importance." Not even the boxy sonics or less-than-world-class RAI wind and brass sections diminish the impact of Furtwängler's  gripping leadership. Even when tempos appear unusually slow, the  conductor's rhythmic underpinning and sixth sense for sustaining long  lines keep the dramatic intensity afloat. While Furtwängler's livelier1950 La ScalaRingboasts better orchestral playing, his RAIRingis  more consistently cast. Standouts include Windgassen's expansive  Siegmund, Mödl's attentive Brünnhilde, Patzak's truly sung (as opposed  to cackled) Mime, Suthaus's virile Siegfried, Jurinac's ruby-tinged  Gutrune, and Greindl's best-vocalized Hagen extant. A banded synopsis  is included in lieu of texts.--Jed Distler