Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) - Richard Wagner
Information about the opera Die Walküre by Richard Wagner, and the best recordings available on CD or DVD, or for download.
The second and most popular opera in Wagner's four-part Ring cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung).
Recommended recordings on CD
Furtwängler/Suthaus/Rysanek (Naxos Historical 8.111056-58)
This 1954 recording is the first complete studio recording of Die Walküre, and is considered to be one of Furtwängler's finest recordings.
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler, 1954.
Cast: Ludwig Suthaus (Siegmund), Leonie Rysanek (Sieglinde), Martha Mödl (Brünnhilde), Ferdinand Frantz (Wotan).
Naxos Historical 8.111056-58
Barenboim/Elming/Secunde (Teldec 4509-91186-2)
A tremendous live recording.
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, 1992.
Cast: Poul Elming (Siegmund), Nadine Secunde (Sieglinde), Anne Evans (Brünnhilde), John Tomlinson (Wotan).
Teldec 4509-91186-2
Keilberth/Vinay/Brouwenstijn (Testament SBT4 1391)
Recorded in stereo at the 1955 Bayreuth Festival.
Bayreuth Festival Chorus, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, conducted by Joseph Keilberth, 1955.
Cast: Ramon Vinay (Siegmund), Gré Brouwenstijn (Sieglinde), Astrid Varnay (Brünnhilde), Hans Hotter (Wotan).
Testament SBT4 1391
Recommended recordings on DVD
Mehta (C Major 700 708)
Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, conducted by Zubin Mehta.
C Major 700 708
Haenchen/Keyes/Secunde (Opus Arte OA 0947 D)
The second part in this new staging of the Ring from Het Muziektheater, Amsterdam.
Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Hartmut Haenchen, 1999.
Cast: John Keyes (Siegmund), Nadine Secunde (Sieglinde), Jeannine Altmeyer (Brünnhilde), John Bröcheler (Wotan).
Opus Arte OA 0947 D
Billy/Berkeley-Steele/Watson (Opus Arte OA 0911 D)
The second part of this highly recommended DVD Ring.
Symphony Orchestra of the Gran Theatre del Liceu, conducted by Bertrand de Billy, 2004.
Cast: Richard Berkeley-Steele (Siegmund), Linda Watson (Sieglinde), Deborah Polaski (Brünnhilde), Falk Struckmann (Wotan).
Opus Arte OA 0911 D