The 1953 Rome Radio recording of Das Ring der Nibelungen from which this Die Walküre is taken was not Wilhelm Furtwängler's first recorded Ring cycle. Parts of the great German conductor's 1937 London Ring were recorded and issued later as pirates, and all of his 1950 La Scala Ring was recorded and likewise later released as pirates. This Rome Ring, too, was recorded, and though it was later broadcast on the radio, it was only much later released on LP by EMI in 1972. Part of the delay was caused by Decca's refusal to surrender the rights to several of its singers who appeared in the cycle, and part of the delay was caused by EMI's belief that in comparison to the sonic splendors of the Solti/Decca and Karajan/DG Ring recordings, its aging monaural recording would seem old and dowdy.
It was wrong. Despite antique sound and a minimal advertising budget, Furtwängler's Rome Ring sold very well in its time -- and it continues to sell well on CD since EMI released it in 1991. It's easy to understand why. For one thing, it has on the podium Wilhelm Furtwängler, then, now, and always, the greatest twentieth century conductor of nineteenth century Austro-Germanic orchestral repertoire. Furtwängler's understanding of Wagner's music is complete, and his ability to express its magnificence unmatched. For another thing, it was taped one act at a time every two to four days between October 26 and November 27, 1953, thereby allowing the singers the time to recuperate between bouts. This Walküre was recorded on October 29 and November 3 and 6, and every singer sounds thoroughly strong and fresh. Thus, Ferdinand Frantz's commanding Wotan and Martha Mödl's appealing Brünnhilde don't sound exhausted by Act III -- as well they might in a live performance in a theater.
But perhaps the greatest quality of this Walküre, and by extension, this Ring, is the enthusiasm the Rome orchestra brings to their parts. A first-rate radio orchestra, the Italians had never played this music before and their energy is unstoppable. While German or Austrian players steeped in the Wagnerian idiom would certainly have responded with greater assurance to the music, the Italians under Furtwängler create the constantly flowing torrent of sound Wagner demands, and when coupled with the German's wonderfully idiomatic singing, the result is an intense and powerful performance. Despite the limitations of the sound, this Walküre, like the Ring from which it is taken, is arguably the finest ever recorded.
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