Das Rheingold

Erich Kleiber
Orquesta del Teatro Colón Buenos Aires
Date/Location
7 August 1947
Teatro Colón Buenos Aires
Recording Type
  live   studio
  live compilation   live and studio
Cast
Wotan Herbert Janssen
Donner Angelo Mattiello
Froh Humberto di Toto
Loge Set Svanholm
Fasolt Jorge Dantón
Fafner Emanuel List
Alberich Fred Destal
Mime Roberto Maggiolo
Fricka Elsa Cavelti
Freia Nilda Hoffmann
Erda Lydia Kindermann
Woglinde Amanda Cetera
Wellgunde Clara Oyuela
Floßhilde Norma Palmieri
Gallery
Reviews
Classics Today

What a pity! It would be wonderful to report that this newly found (at least to me) Rheingold from 1947, led by Erich Kleiber at his home-away-from-home in Argentina–and in vaguely listenable sound–was worth buying. But it has a problem that can’t be overlooked: the whole performance has been transferred a half-tone sharp. Granted, this makes for nice quick listening (it comes in at two hours and 14 minutes), with bright voices, but, let’s face it–it’s entirely distorted and out of the running. What you hear is that Herbert Janssen is a potent, arrogant, tireless Wotan; the Alberich of Fred Destal is nicely grimy; Elsa Cavelti’s Fricka is second-rate; and Set Svanholm’s Loge is terrific and energetic. But it’s unrecommendable! Were it in correct pitch, the rating may have been an eight. As it stands now, it’s entertaining and gives us an idea of what Kleiber was up to in ’47 (and quite a storyteller he was!); but, as they say, fuggedaboudit.

Artistic Quality: 5
Sound Quality: 3

Robert Levine

Rating
(7/10)
User Rating
(4/5)
Media Type/Label
Gebhardt, HO, OD, Line
Technical Specifications
388 kbit/s VBR, 44.1 kHz, 429 MByte (flac)
Remarks
Broadcast
A production by Otto Erhardt