One of the very best, May 19, 2004 Reviewer: A music fan from London, United Kingdom "In this newly refurbished version of the Krauss 1953 Bayreuth Ring, we can hear with much greater ease just what a superb performance this was. Apart from Krauss"s effortless command of the orchestra, where every tempo selection seems ideal, the stars of the show are Hotter and Varnay, closely followed by the young Windgassen. Unlike in the Solti ring, where the older Hotter concentrated on Wotan"s nobility, in the Krauss Ring, he becomes a truly frightening and violent presence, particularly in Die Walkure Act 2. . . . Varnay, on this form, is the Brunnhilde of the post-war era, surpassing even Nilsson and certainly much finer than Flagstad. To hear Windgassen in his prime is a privilege: he was always a superb vocal actor but here he has a real physical presence as well. The orchestral sound, though occasionally rough, is astoundingly good for the period, with much enhanced presence over previous issues of this cycle; . . . For thrills, listen to the closing pages of Siegfried Act 3, to Greindl"s Hagen, and to Hotter throughout. Given that this set costs about the same as one not very good seat in most major opera houses, there is no reason not to purchse it! For your money, you will get one of the very finest performances ever of the entire cycle. ..."AND...You want a good, cheap live Ring Cycle with great singing and conducting? Here it is. Clemens Krauss was a complete man of the theater, and every bar of his 1953 Bayreuth Ring crackles with life and dramatic purposefulness. What"s more, his stalwart cast turns in fresher, more inspired work than their Bayreuth norm. --Jed Distler