Tannhaeuser Ouvertuere / Si

By the 1960s, Pierre Monteux could conduct practically anything he wanted, which is why in 1963, the year of the 150th anniversary of Wagner's birth, he had no difficulty in persuading the Holland Festival to program an all-Wagner evening. The choice of soloist was his and having heard a great deal about Birgit Nilsson, he wanted to work with her. As one might expect, the results were stunning and the radio transmission gives the voice a more forward balance, allowing one to relish Nilsson's voice. This two disc set from Testament includes the Tannhauser Overture, the Siegfried Idyll, the Prelude & Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde and selections from Gotterdammerung.