HDTT is pleased to present this new high-resolution transfer and restoration of a classic recorded performance of Wagner’s Die Walküre brilliantly conducted by great Wagner conductor Erich Leinsdorf. Not long before this recording was made in 1961, a deal was struck between RCA Victor and Decca/London to make recordings in London, sometimes using Decca’s personnel, that would initially be released on the RCA label, but after a period of time would revert to ownership and released by Decca. A number of operatic recordings were made pursuant to this arrangement, including an Aida featuring American soprano Leontyne Price and Canadian tenor Jon Vickers, conducted by Georg Solti, and a Flying Dutchman featuring Austrian soprano Leonie Rysanek, George London, and American bass Giorgio Tozzi, conducted by Antal Dorati (see the first release of this great recording on pitch HERE). All of these recordings featured a number of singers who were prominent leading singers at New York’s Metropolitan Opera.
Artist(s): Conductor – Erich Leinsdorf
Orchestra – London Symphony Orchestra
Soprano Vocals [Brünnhilde] – Birgit Nilsson
Soprano Vocals [Sieglinde] – Gré Brouwenstijn
Mezzo-soprano Vocals [Fricka] – Rita Gorr
Tenor Vocals [Siegmund] – Jon Vickers
Baritone Vocals [Wotan] – George London
Bass Vocals [Hunding] – David Ward
Valkyries: Marie Collier [Gerhilde, soprano], Julia Malyon [Ortlinde, soprano], Margreta Elkins [Waltraute, mezzo-soprano], Joan Edwards [Schwertleite, mezzo-soprano], Judith Pierce [Helmwige, soprano], Noreen Berry [Sigrune, mezzo-soprano], Maureen Guy [Grimgerde, contralto], Josephine Veasey [Rossweisse, mezzo-soprano].
Recording Info: Recorded by RCA Victor in collaboration with Decca Records at Walthamstow Town Hall, London, England, September 1961
Engineer [Recording] – Kenneth Wilkinson Producer – Erik Smith
Digital transfer: Robert Witrak, Chief Engineer, High Definition Tape Transfers, Inc. (2023)
Restoration: Robert Witrak, High Definition Tape Transfers, Inc. and John H. Haley, Harmony Restorations, LLC (2023).
Please Note: This release was edited in DXD PCM from a DSD256 Master then the DXD edited master was used to generate the final DSD files using Merging Technologies Album Publishing.
DXD (352.8KHz 24/32 bit PCM) is one of the best and least destructive formats for post-processing DSD originated digital recordings
Copyright © & ℗ High Definition Tape Transfers, Inc. 2023, including all compilation, transfer, remastering, and restoration aspects
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The BEST Die Walküre recording ever
Thanks to Birgit Nilsson's impatience we got the best Walküre recording ever. She was due to record it for Solti in 1965 for Decca/London, but after her successes singing Brünnhilde in London in 1957, Vienna in 1959 and both the MET and Bayreuth in 1960, she insisted on it being recorded. RCA took up the challenge. It has Vickers and Brouwenstein, the best Wälsung Twins on record with the great David Ward as Hunding (who would also become a great Wotan two years later) George London was the finest bass-baritone around and his recording captured here is the only one of him in this role at his best. He later sang it in Cologne Germany in 1962 in a new Wieland Wagner production and was immediately booked for Bayreuth in 1965 to sing all three Wotan/Wanderer roles. Unfortunately his vocal health declined rapidly in 1964 and his early 1965 Walküre at the MET was a poor reflection on what had become a shadow of the voice that once was. His Bayreuth engagement was cancelled and within 18 months his career as a singer was over. Rita Gorr was an oustanding Fricka and Nilsson was in her absolute best voice for this recording, better even than with Solti. Erich Leinsdorf had by this time been conducting Wagner at the MET for almost 25 years and his wealth of experience brought out the very best from the singers. This recording is in every way far superior to the Solti SET from 1965. As usual HDTT's transfer is impeccable. BRAVO !

Dream cast for Die Walkure
Solti's Ring cycle is (justly) considered one of the great opera recording projects, but in this stand-alone recording of Wagner's Die Walkure (1961), Leinsdorf had an even better cast than Solti had for the same opera... truly a dream cast, and each of them in their best voice, particularly Nilsson and Hotter. This remaster/restoration sounds so much better than the currently available cd releases. HDTT has done an outstanding job here.

Leinsdorf's Die Walkure
For many Wagnerians the title above will seem silly, for this is "The Nillson/Vickers Die Walkure", or "The Nillson/Vickers Walkure captured in listenable sound" or "The Die Walkure that the Solti Die Walkure should have been but wasn't". In fact, swapping this into the Solti ring works quite well. We have Solti's Brunhilde in fresher voice and Solti's Rheingold Wotan in much better voice than Hotter was in by 1965. Losing Solti for Leinsdorf is no great loss in this instance. HDTT gives this underappreciated recording more love than Decca ever has, the sound is vastly improved from the CD and all in all, this might just be the most important HDTT release yet. Perhaps the Leinsdorf Lohengrin might be next?

Amazing sound
I will leave others to comment on the performance but as an audiophile, the sound quality of this is amazing, Kenneth Wilkinson at his best. If you think the recent Decca reissue of the same work by Solti on SACDs is good, this is at a different level altogether.

One of the best recordings of Die Walküre
This transfer is much better than the Decca and Éloquence cd. IMHO the singers are better than those of the Solti’s recording. Vickers is at his best.
DSD256, DSD128 & DSD64 Direct Stream Digital formats are only playable on compatible hardware and software.
24bit 352.8kHz PCM Flac (DXD) DXD is only playable on compatible hardware and software.
24bit 192khz PCM Flac is playable on most all playback devices
24bit 96khz PCM Flac is playable on most all playback devices
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