Not until 1949 did Wilhelm Furtwängler invest in the Germanic interpretation tradition initiated by Wagner himself and continued by Hans von Bülow and Arthur Nikisch. His 'subjective' style of interpretation, deeply influenced by the theories of Jewish Viennese musicologist Heinrich Schenker was diametrically opposed to the more 'objective' Arturo Toscanini.

Yet here we have the stunning lyricism contained in these grandiose pages that create the magic of the Wagnerian epic, illustrated by the incomparable Vienna Philharmonic in all its splendour.