The 1940s were a luxurious time for Wagner singing, as this Met broadcast from February 6, l943, confirms. Erich Leinsdorf leads a tight performance, with overall quick tempos and severe cuts in Acts II and III, yet the tension remains high. The orchestra is in excellent shape and both leads are up to the unleashed sounds the players hurl at them. Melchior, of course, is a very well known quantity– here he uses his seemingly inexhaustible voice with color and thrust, and his final act is very moving. Helen Traubel was a singer of great strength as well, and the only thing she seemed to lack (besides a high C–she ducks them both here, as she invariably did) is the ability to nuance: Her Irish princess is long on nobility and scorn and a bit short on vulnerability. Kerstin Thorborg’s Brangäne is world class and Julius Huehn’s Kurwenal only just below that. Alexander Kipnis manages to avoid King Marke’s usual tedium and he never resorts to melodrama. The sound is quite good for its time and source. This set gives great pleasure. [Editor’s Note: This recording is not available for sale in the U.S.A.]
