Posted on by tsaraslondon

Callas’s Studio Medea gets the Pristine XR treatment

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Pristine, having applied their XR method of remastering to many of Callas’s mono recordings and to some of her live ones, now turn to the stereo studio ones. Oddly enough, this was the first of Callas’s complete operas to be recorded in stereo in Milan, though it wasn’t actually recorded by Walter Legge and her Columbia recording team, and all her other Milan recordings that year were mono. Apparently, EMI had no interest in the enterprise and the recording was made by Mercury for Ricordi in September 1957, a few weeks after her performances of La Sonnambula in Edinburgh, when she had not been in her best voice. It was originally issued by Ricordi in Italy, Mercury in the US and Columbia in the UK and since then has appeared on various different labels, including Everest and even Deutsche Gramophon, as well, of course, as Warner when they re-mastered all the Callas studio recordings for their 2014 release.

Considering it was recorded by Mercury, one would have expected the sound to be pretty good, but it has always sounded a bit dry and constricted. I was listening to the Pristine CDs and made comparisons with the 2014 Warner release. To my ears, the differences between the two are fairly slight. Pristine’s XR sound opens up the sound picture a bit and solo voices in particular do sound as if they have a bit more air around them. I also tried listening both through my speakers and through headphones and, oddly, found I preferred the Pristine through my headphones and the Warner through my speakers, though this could have something to do with my equipment. It might also have something to do with the fact that the Pristine release is transferred at a much lower level than the Warner.

Whichever version you go for, there is no doubt this is the best sounding of all Callas’s recorded Medeas, but what about the performance? Apart from this studio recording, we have five live recordings: Florence and La Scala 1953, Dallas 1958, London 1959 and La Scala 1961. Of these, one can safely discount the 1961 La Scala performance. I would also discount the 1959 London performance, a recording that has also been issued by Pristine, though I see that it is Ralph Moore’s first choice in his Medea survey. I feel that it pales in comparison to the Dallas performance, which, though it suffers from poor sound, is blisteringly dramatic, having been recorded just after Bing had “sacked” Callas from the Met. That event seems to have galvanised the whole company to produce a performance of extraordinary dramatic concentration, with Callas in fabulous, secure voice. This Dallas performance is my first choice for the opera, though I wouldn’t want to be without the two 1953 performances either.

This studio recording operates on an altogether lower level of intensity than any of those. However, when I first got to know this opera, and this recording, I had no other point of reference, and it seemed pretty good to me. It was only later, when I heard those barnstorming performances from Florence, La Scala and Dallas, that I found anything lacking, and it is only in comparison with herself that she fails. She is still a good deal better in the part than any other who attempted it, certainly a lot better than Gwyneth Jones and Sylvia Sass, who also made studio recordings of this Italian version. In other hands, Cherubini’s music can seem staid and formulaic, but Callas breathes life into it like no other.

Serafin’s conception is essentially Classical, but his conducting varies from the somnolent to the dramatic. After a tautly conceived overture, the first scene up to Medea’s entrance drags on interminably. I understand the necessity to establish a pastoral air of peace and calm, into which the Colchian Medea bursts, but, quite frankly, at this pace it just becomes a bore. On LP I often used to miss out the first side completely and set the needle down part way through the second LP, when Medea makes her entrance.

Without foreknowledge of other performances by Callas, this is still a great performance of a difficult role. We lose some of the power and ferocity, but there are gains too. Ricordi il giorni tu la prima volta quando m’hai veduta? is couched in the most melting tones, as is the ensuing aria. There is no doubt that it is love, not revenge, that first brings Medea to Corinth. Her duplicity in the scene with Creon, and also in the following duet with Jason, is brilliantly charted, and the scene with the children movingly intense. Vocally, for all that she is not in her best voice, she manages its angular lines and wide leaps with consummate skill, her legato still wondrously intact. Note also how, in this Classical role, her use of portamento is more sparing.

When it comes to the supporting cast, Scotto is less of an advantage than you might expect, Pirazzini rather more (though not quite a match for Barbieri in Florence and at La Scala or Berganza in Dallas). Picchi, who sang Pollione to Callas’s Norma in London in 1952, is rather good, though Vickers is even better in Dallas. Modesti makes a good Creon too, though not as good as Zaccaria in Dallas.

One should of course point out that this is not Médée, as Cherubini imagined it, which was an opéra-comique with spoken dialogue. The version Callas sang is a hybrid, an Italian translation of a German version with recitatives by Franz Lachner, first performed in 1909. It works very well, though, and it is interesting to note that, even in this age of preference for historical authenticity, this was the version that Sondra Radvanovsky sang when the opera was revived for her at the Metropolitan Opera recently.

If you are looking for a studio recording of the opera, then there is little doubt that this is the one to go for.

Cherubini: Medea (Pristine Audio)

Posted on by tsaraslondon

A list of my preferred opera recordings

I hesitate to call this a list of recommended opera recordings, because people’s tastes are so different, but it is a list of my preferred recordings and, as such, it is obviously influenced by my liking for certain artists. It is also derived from over 50 years of listening to and collecting opera recordings and includes recordings that are or were once available on LP and CD, because, despite the current trend for everything to be downloaded onto a computer, I still prefer to listen to CDs. In some cases I have included more than one recording of a piece, usually because I can’t decide which one I like best. I’m also pretty sure that, with a couple of exceptions. all my chosen recordings date from the LP era onwards.

A word about Wagner. I am not really a Wagnerite. I enjoy Wagner from time to time, but I find that, more than with other composers, the sound of the orchestra takes precedence for me, which is why all the recordings I have chosen are studio recordings in decent stereo sound, which thererore excludes the names of many great Wagnerians of the past, such as Flagstad, Leider, Melchior, Furtwängler etc.

No doubt many of my readers will disagree with some of my choices, but I think it’s a pretty sound list. Peruse at your leisure.

Barber: Vanessa – Steber, Elias, Resnik, Gedda, Tozzi; Mitropoulos

Bartók: Bluebeard’s Castle – Ludwig, Berry; Kertesz

Beethoven: Fidelio – Dernesch, Donath, Vickers, Kéléman, Ridderbusch; Karajan

Bellini: I Capuleti e I Montecchi – Sills, Baker, Gedda, Herincx, Lloyd; Patané

Bellini: Norma – Callas, Simionato, Del Monaco, Zaccaria; Votto La Scala 1955 (live) or Callas. Ludwig, Corelli, Zaccaria; Serafin (studio)

Bellini: Il Pirata – Callas, Ferraro, Ego; Rescigno New York 1959 (live) -or- Caballé, Martí, Cappuccili; Gavazzeni (studio)

Bellini: I Puritani – Callas, Di Stefano, Panerai, Rossi-Lemeni; Serafin

Bellini: La Sonnambula –Callas, Valletti, Modesti; Bernstein la Scala 1955 (live) or Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto/Cologne 1957 (live) or Callas, Monti, Zaccaria; Votto (studio)

Berlioz: Béatrice et Bénedict – Eda-Pierre, Baker, Watts, Tear, Allen, Lloyd, Bastin; Davis

Berlioz: Benvenuto Cellini – Eda-Pierre, Berbié, Gedda, Massard, Bastin, Soyer; Davis

Berlioz: La damnation de Faust – Veasey, Gedda, Bastin, Van Allan; Davis

Berlioz: Les Troyens – Lindholm, Veasey, Vickers, Glossop; Davis

Bizet: Carmen – Callas, Guiot, Gedda, Massard; Prêtre

Bizet: Les pêcheurs de perles – Cotrubas, Vanzo, Sarabia; Prêtre

Britten: Billy Budd – Langridge, Keenlyside, Tomlinson; Hickox

Britten: Gloriana – Barstow, Kenny, Jones, Langridge, Opie, Summers; Mackerras

Britten: A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Watson, Gomez, Jones, Bowman, Hall, Herford, Maxwell; Hickox

Britten: Peter Grimes – Watson, Pears, Pease; Britten and Harper, Vickers, Summers; Davis

Britten: The Rape of Lucretia – Harper, Baker, Pears, Drake, Luxon, Shirley-Quirk; Britten

Britten: The Turn of the Screw – Vyvyan, Cross, Pears, Mardikian; Britten

Charpentier: Louise – Cotrubas, Berbié, Domingo, Bacquier; Prêtre and Vallin, Lecouvreur, Thill, Pernet; Bigot (abridged)

Chausson: Le roi Arthus – Zylis-Gara, Winbergh, Quilico; Jordan

Cherubini: Medea – Callas, Carron, Berganza, Vickers, Zaccaria; Rescigno, Dallas 1958 (live) or- Callas, Nache, Barbieri, Penno, Modesti; Bernstein, La Scala 1953 (live). If studio/stereo is a must then Callas, Scotto, Pirazzini, Picchi, Modesti; Serafin

Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur – Scotto, Obrasztsova, Domingo, Milnes; Levine

Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande – Joachim, Cernay, Jansen, Etchverry, Cabanet; Désormiére (mono) and Von Stade, Denize, Stilwell, Van Dam, Raimondi; Karajan (stereo)

Délibes: Lakmé – Mesplé, Burles, Soyer; Lombard

Delius: A Village Romeo and Juliet – Field, Davies, Hampson; Mackerras

Donizetti: Anna Bolena – Callas. Simionato, Raimondi, Rossi-Lemeni; Gavazzeni, La Scala 1957 (live) (Divina transfer, avoid Warner and EMI) It’s cut of course, but no other performance satisfies me.

Donizetti: Don Pasquale – Saraceni, Schipa, Poli, Badini; Sabajno (mono). If stereo is a must then Freni, Winbergh, Nucci; Bruscantini; Muti

Donizetti: L’Elisir d’amore – Cotrubas, Domingo, Wixell, Evans; Pritchard

Donizetti: La fille du régiment – Sutherland, Sinclair, Pavarotti, Malas; Bonynge

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor – Callas. Di Stefano, Panerai, Zaccaria; Karajan, Berlin 1955 (live) and Callas, Tagliavini, Cappuccilli, Ladysz; Serafin (studio stereo/Pristine remaster).

Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia – Caballé, Berbié, Vanzo, Paskalis; Perlea, New York 1965 (live) No studio recording.

Donizetti: Maria Stuarda – Tinsley, Baker, Erwen, Garrard, Du Plessis; Mackerras, ENO 1973 (live in English) or Caballé, Verrett, Garaventa, Arié, Fioravanti; Cillario, La Scala 1971 (live). No studio recording.

Donizetti: Roberto Devereux – Caballé, Marsee, Carreras, Sardinero, Furlanetto; Rudel, Aix-en-Provence, 1977 (live)

Dvořák: Rusalka – Fleming, Zajick, Heppner, Havlata; Mackerras

Enescu: Oedipe – Hendricks, Lipovšek, Gedda, Van Dam; Foster

Fauré: Pénélope – Norman, Taillon, Vanzo, Huttenlocher, Van Dam; Dutoit

Giordano: Andrea Chenier – Scotto, Domingo, Milnes; Levine

Gluck: Orfeo – Baker, Speiser, Gale; Leppard

Gounod: Faust – De Los Angeles, Gorr, Gedda, Blanc, Christoff; Cluytens 1958 (stereo)

Gounod: Roméo et Juliette – Gheorghiu, Alagna, Keenlyside, Van Dam, Fondary; Plasson

Handel: Hercules – Dawson, Otter, Daniels, Croft, Saks: Minkowski

Handel: Giulio Cesare – Masterson, Baker, Jones, Walker, Bowman, Tomlinson: Mackerras (in English)

Handel: Rinaldo – Organasova, Bartoli, Fink, Daniels, Taylor, Finley; Hogwood

Handel: Theodora – Upshaw, Hunt Lieberson, Daniels, Croft: Christie

Humperdinck: Hänsel und Gretel – Schwarzkopf. Grümmer, Von Islovay, Schürhoff, Metternich: Karajan

Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen – Popp, Randova, Jedlicka; Mackerras

Janáček: Jenůfa, – Söderström, Popp, Randova, Ochmann, Dvorsky; Mackerras

Janáček: Kat’a Kabanova – Söderström, Kniplova, Dvorsky; Mackerras

Janáček: Vĕc Makropulos – Söderström, Dvorsky, Blachut; Mackerras

Korngold; Die tote Stadt – Neblett, Kollo, Prey, Luxon; Leinsdorf

Lehár: Das Land des Lächelns – Schwarzkopf, Loose, Gedda, Kunz: Ackermann

Lehár: Die lustige Witwe – Schwarzkopf, Steffek, Gedda, Wächter, Knapp; von Matačić

Leoncavallo: Pagliacci – Callas, Di Stefano, Monti, Gobbi, Panerai; Serafin

Mascagni: L’Amico Fritz – Freni, Pavarotti, Sardinero; Gavazzeni

Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana – Callas, Di Stefano, Panerai; Serafin

Massenet: Cendrillon – Welting, Von Stade, Berbié,  Gedda, Bastin; Rudel

Massenet: Manon – De Los Angeles, Legay, Dens; Monteux

Massenet: Thaîs – Fleming, Sabbatini, Hampson; Abel

Massenet: Werther – Gheorghiu, Pétibon, Alagna, Hampson; Pappano or Von Stade, Buchanan, Carreras, Allen; Davis and Vallin, Féraldy, Thill, Rogue; Cohen

Motemezzi: L’Amore Dei Tre Re – Moffo, Domingo, Elvira. Siepi; Santi

Monteverdi: L’incoronazione di Poppea – Galli, Meijer, Marmeli; Cavina

Monteverdi: L’Orfeo – Cioffi, Gens, Dessay, Bostridge; Haîm

Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito – Baker, Popp, Minton, Von Stade, Burrows; Davis

Mozart: Cosi fan Tutte – Schwarzkopf, Steffek, Ludwig, Kraus, Taddei, Berry; Böhm

Mozart; Don Giovanni – Sutherland, Schwarzkopf, Sciutti, Alva, Wächter, Taddei, Cappuccilli, Frick; Giulini

Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail – Köth. Schädle, Wunderlich, Lenz, Böhme; Jochum

Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro – Schwarzkopf, Moffo, Cossotto, Taddei, Wächter, Cappucilli; Giulini

Mozart: Die Zauberflote – Lear, Peters, Wunderlich, Fischer-Dieskau, Crass; Böhm or for HIP – Mannion, Dessay, Blochwitz, Scharinger, Hagen; Christie

Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov – Borodina, Vaneev, Galouzine; Gergiev

Offenbach: Les Contes D’Hoffman – Sutherland, Tourangeau, Domingo, Bacquier; Bonynge (studio) or Malfitano, Murray, Domingo, Van Dam; Levine (live)

Offenbach: Orphée aux Enfers – Mesplé, Rhodes, Sénéchal, Burles, Trempont; Plasson

Offenbach: La vie Parisienne – Mesplé, Crespin, Sénéchal, Bénoit, Trempont; Plasson

Ponchielli: La Gioconda – Callas, Barbieri, Amadini, Poggi, Silveri, Neri: Votto (mono) or Callas, Cossotto, Companeez, Ferraro, Cappuccilli, Vinco: Votto (stereo)

Poulenc: Dialogues des Carmélites – Duval, Crespin, Berton. Scharley, Gorr, Depraz, Finel; Dervaux

Puccini: La Boheme – De Los Angeles, Amara, Björling, Merrill, Tozzi: Beecham or Callas, Moffo, Di Stefano, Panerai, Zaccaria: Votto

Puccini: La Fanciulla del West – Neblett, Domngo, Milnes; Mehta

Puccini: Gianni Schicchi – De Los Angeles, Del Monte, Gobbi: Santini

Puccini: Madama Butterfly – Callas, Danieli, Gedda, Borriello; Karajan or De Los Angeles, Canali, Di Stefano, Gobbi: Gavazzeni or Scotto, Di Stasio, Bergonzi, Panerai: Barbirolli

Puccini: Manon Lescaut – Callas, Di Stefano, Fioravanti: Serafin

Puccini: La Rondine – Gheorghiu, Mula, Alagna, Mateuzzi, Rinaldi: Pappano

Puccini: Suor Angelica – De Los Angeles, Marimpietri, Barbieri: Serafin or Scotto, Cotrubas, Horne; Maazel

Puccini: Il Tabarro – Mas, Prevedi, Gobbi: Bellezza

Puccini: Tosca – Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi: De Sabata

Puccini: Turandot – Callas, Schwarzkopf, Fernandi, Zaccaria: Serafin (mono) or Sutherland, Caballé, Pavarotti, Ghiaurov: Mehta (stereo)

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas – Clark, Baker, Sinclair, Herincx; Lewis

Ravel: L’enfant et les sortileges –  Ogéas, Gilma, Collard, Berbié, Sénéchal, Rehfuss, Maurane; Maazel

Ravel: L’heure espahnole – Berbié, Sénéchal, Gireaudeau, Bacquier, Van Dam; Maazel

Rossini: Armida – Callas, Filippeschi, Albanese, Raimondi; Serafin (in atrocious sound, but essential for some of the most incredible dramatic coloratura singing you will ever hear)

Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia – Callas, Alva, Gobbi, Ollendorff, Zaccaria: Galliera

Rossini: La Cenerentola – Baltsa, Araiza, Alaimo, Raimondi; Marriner

Rossini: Le comte Ory – Barabas, Sinclair, Oncina, Wallace: Gui

Rossini: Elisabetta, Regina, d’Inghilterra – Caballé, Masterson, Carreras, Benelli: Masini

Rossini: Guillaume Tell – Caballé, Mesplé, Taillon, Gedda, Cassinelli, Bacquier, Howell, Kovats; Gardelli

Rossini: L’Italiana in Algeri – Pace, Baltsa, Lopardo, Corbelli, Dara, Raimondi; Abbado

Rossini: Semiramide – Penda, Pizzolato, Osborne, Regazzo: Fogliani (complete) or Sutherland, Horne, Serge, Malas; Bonynge (abridged)

Rossini: Il Turco in Italia – Callas, Gardino, Gedda, Stabile, Calabrese, Rossi-Lemeni; Gavazzeni

Saint-Saens: Samson et Dalila – Baltsa, Carreras, Summers, Estes, Burchaladze; Davis

Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk – Vishnevskaya, Gedda, Petkov; Rostropovich

J Strauss: Die Fledermaus – Schwarzkopf, Streich, Gedda, Krebs, Christ, Kunz; Dönch; Karajan

J Strauss: Eine Nacht in Venedig – Schwarzkopf, Loose, Gedda, Kunz; Ackermann

J Strauss: Wiener Blut – Schwarzkopf, Köth, Loose, Gedda, Kunz; Ackermann

J Strauss: Der Zigeunerbaron – Schwarzkopf, Köth, Burgsthaler-Schuster, Gedda, Prey, Kunz: Ackermann

R Strauss: Arabella – Varady, Donath, Dallapozza, Fischer-Dieskau; Sawallisch and Schwarzkopf, Felbermeyer, Gedda, Metternich; von Matacic (highlights)

R Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos – Schwarzkopf, Streich, Seefried, Schock; Karajan

R Strauss: Capriccio – Schwarzkopf, Ludwig, Gedda, Wächter, Fischer-Dieskau, Hotter; Sawallisch

R Strauss: Elektra – Marton, Studer, Lipovsek, Winkler, Weikl; Sawallisch

R. Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten – Studer, Vintzing, Schwarz, Kollo, Muff: Sawallisch

R Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier – Schwarzkopf, Stich-Randall, Ludwig Wächter, Edelmann; Karajan

R Strauss: Salome – Welitsch, Thorborg, Jagel, Janssen; Reiner (live mono) and Behrens, Baltsa, Schmitt-Walter, Van Dam; Karajan (studio stereo)

Szymanowski: Król Roger – Szmytka, Langridge, Hampson; Rattle

Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin – Vishnevskaya, Avdeyeva, Lemeshev, Belov, Petrov; Khaikin

Tchaikovsky: Mazeppa – Gorchakova, Dyadkova, Larin, Leiferkus, Kotcherga; Järvi

Tchaikovsky: Queen of Spades – Guleghina, Borodina, Arkhipova, Grigorian, Chernov, Putilin; Gergiev

Verdi: Aida – Callas, Dominguez, Del Monaco, Taddei; de Fabritiis (live) and Callas, Barbieri, Tucker, Gobbi; Serafin (studio mono) or Caballé, Cossotto, Domingo, Cappuccilli; Muti (studio stereo) or Freni, Baltsa, Carreras, Cappuccilli; Karajan (studio stereo)

Verdi: Alzira – Cotrubas, Araiza, Bruson; Gardelli

Verdi: Aroldo – Caballé, Cecchele, Pons, Lebherz; Queler

Verdi: Attila – Deutekom, Bergonzi, Milnes, Raimondi; Gardelli

Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera – Callas, Barbieri, Di Stefano, Gobbi; Votto (studio) and Callas, Simionato, Di Stefano, Bastianini; Gavazzeni (live)

Verdi: La Battaglia di Legnano – Ricciarelli, Carreras, Manuguerra, Ghiuselev; Gardelli

Verdi: Il Corsaro – Caballé, Norman, Carreras, Mastremei; Gardelli

Verdi: Don Carlo – Freni, Baltsa, Carreras, Cappuciolli, Ghiaurov, Raimondi; Karajan (4 acts in Italian), Caballé, Verrett, Domingo, Milnes, Raimondi, Giaotti; Giulini (5 acts in Italian) and Ricciarelli, Valentini-Terrani, Domingo, Nucci, Raimondi, Ghiaurov; Abbado (5 acts in French)

Verdi: I due Foscari – Ricciarelli, Carreras, Cappuccilli, Ramey; Gardelli

Verdi: Ernani – Price, Bergonzi, Sereni, Flagello; Schipeers

Verdi: Falstaff – Schwarzkopf, Moffo, Merriman, Barbieri, Alva, Panerai, Gobbi; Zaccaria; Karajan

Verdi: La Forza del Destino – Callas, Nicolai, Tucker, Tagliabue, Rossi-Lemeni; Serafin

Verdi: Un Giorno di Regno – Pagliughi, Cozzi, Oncina, Bruscantini, Capecchi, Dalmangas; Simonetto

Verdi: Giovanna d’Arco – Caballé, Domingo, Milnes; Levine

Verdi: I Lombardi – Sass, Lamberti, Di Cesare, Kovats; Gardelli

Verdi: Luisa Miller – Moffo, Verrett, Bergonzi, MacNeil, Tozzi, Flagello; Cleva or Caballé, Reynolds, Pavarotti, Milnes, Giaotti, Van Allan; Maag or Ricciarelli, Obraztsova, Domingo, Bruson, Howell, Ganzarolli; Maazel

Verdi; Macbeth – Callas, Penno, Mascherini, Tajo; De Sabata (live) and Verrett, Domingo, Cappuccilli, Ghiurov; Abbado (studio)

Verdi: I Masnadiert – Caballé, Bergonzi, Cappucilli, Raimondi; Gardelli

Verdi; Nabucco – Souliotis, Carral, Prevedi, Gobbi, Cava; Gardelli and (essential supplement, but awful sound) Callas, Pini, Sinimbergi, Bechi, Neroni; Gui

Verdi: Otello – Rysanek, Vickers, Gobbi; Serafin and Scotto, Domingo, Milnes; Levine

Verdi: Rigoletto – Callas, Lazzarini, di Stefano, Gobbi, Zaccaria; Serafin

Verdi: Simon Boccanegra – Freni, Carreras, Cappucilli, Ghiaurov, Van Dam; Abbado and De Los Angeles, Campora, Gobbi, Christoff, Monachesi; Santini

Verdi: Stiffelio – Sass, Carreras, Manugeurra, Ganzarolli; Gardelli

Verdi; La Traviata – Callas, Valletti, Zanasi; Rescigno, Covent Garden 1958 (live) and Cotrubas, Domingo, Milnes; Kleiber (istereo studio)

Verdi: Il Trovatore – Callas, Barbieri, Di Stefano, Panerai, Zaccaria; Karajan

Verdi: I Vespri Siciliani – Callas, Kokolis-Bardi, Mascherini, Christoff; Kleiber (live) and Arroyo, Domingo, Milnes, Raimondi; Levine

Wagner: Der Fliegende Holländer – Silja, Kozub, Unger, Adam, Talvela; Klemperer or Schech, Schock, Wunderlich, Fischer-Dieskau; Konwitschny

Wagner: Lohengrin – Grümmer, Ludwig, Thomas, Fischer-Dieskau, Frick; Kempe

Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – Janowitz, Fassbänder, Konya, Unger, Stewart, Hemsley, Crass; Kubelik

Wagner: Parsifal – Vejzovic, Hoffmann, Nimsgern, Van Dam, Moll; Karajan

Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen – Crespin, Dernesch, Janowitz, Veasey, Ludwig, Dominguez, Stolze, Vickers, Stewart, Brilioth, Fischer-Dieskau, Stewart, Kéeléman, Ridderbusch, Talvela; Karajan

Wagner: Tannhäuser – Dernesch, Ludwig, Kollo, Braun, Sotin; Solti

Wagner: Tristan und Isolde – Dernesch, Ludwig, Vickers, Berry, Ridderbusch; Karajan and Gray, Wilkens, Mitchinson, Joll, Howell; Goodall

Weber: Der Freischutz – Grümmer, Otto, Schock, Prey, Kohn, Frick; Keilberth