This CD was issued by EMI Germany some six years ago at full price, but never released in the UK. Now it appears, more realistically, at a cheaper level.It houses sensibly chosen, lengthy scenes for soprano and tenor from three of Wagner’s operas, performed with true conviction by Julia Varady and Peter Seiffert. He has since recorded the title roles complete in the two earlier operas under Barenboim, but here his well-groomed and idiomatic singing is much more suitably partnered than there by Varady’s Elisabeth and Elsa, parts to which she brings her customary attributes of eager, impassioned, vibrant singing – although both singers are sometimes hampered by Fischer-Dieskau’s somewhat too literal conducting which can impede the scores’ natural flow.

He is rather more involving in his support for the two artists as Sieglinde and Siegmund, although it takes almost a lifetime in the pit to learn how to pace the closing scene of Die Walküre satisfactorily. Readers may be familiar with Varady’s Sieglinde either in person or from the EMI Sawallisch recording (5/92). As there, she leaves little to be desired in either vocal or interpretative terms – her account of ‘Du bist der Lenz’ is probably the most exciting passage on the whole disc.

Seiffert’s Siegmund is more lyrical than heroic, reminiscent very much of Wolfgang Windgassen in the part, a good model. The orchestral playing is accurate and prompt rather than inspired. The sound has plenty of presence. Sadly, no texts or translation are provided.