Gotterdammerung Solti

This is a mighty powerful performance of the Twilight of the Gods! It is packed with drama. Powerful singing with a powerful hand controlling it. Solti rises to that level of musicianship that brings out the impact of power to the highest. Solti has set some orchestral standards that have not been surpassed with Dawn and Siegfried's Rhine Journey. Once again, the only conductor who comes close to Solti in bringing out the intensity has been Furtwaengler. The brass and the strings complement each other. Siegfried's Funeral March is also superb. In the Immolation Scene, Solti brings out all the intertwined leitmotifs to a thrilling climax, the Valhalla motif rising higher with each bar. This Decca set captures Solti's powerful direction and the astounding effort by the Vienna Philharmonic. Solti's Gotterdammerung could be the standard to which you can hold all other Ring cycles. In my honest opinion, no recording comes even close. Karajan is thin when it comes to orchestral punch. The LP records and not the CDs bring out the best sound. The Metropolitan Opera set with James Levine could be thrown in the gutter. http://youtu.be/6PM3evhj3Kc