Torsten Ralf (1901-55), the Swedish tenor, active in Dresden and Berlin before and during the war, also sang pre- and post-war at Covent Garden. These recordings were made, with one exception, during 1941-3 in Dresden (with Bohm conducting) and Berlin, and give a fair conspectus of the singer's repertory. Particularly important is the solo from Richard Strauss's Daphne since he created the role of Apollo, and it shows Ralf on splendid form. In addition to that, his Strauss repertoire is represented by the Emperor's ''Falke, du wiedergefundener'' from Die Frau ohne Schatten, taken from a radio broadcast in 1943 (Bohm), and it is a useful addition to the opera's discography: indeed, it would be hard to imagine this taxing solo more convincingly done. The Emperor and Pedro in Tiefland proved ideal roles for Ralf's refined, incisive voice.
His tenor was a compact, attractive though not very sappy instrument. Always a reliable artist, he was also a sensitive and musical one, as revealed by his accurate reading of Otello's music. He sings the Monologue as written, and he and Lemnitz end the love duet with the pianissimo requested by Verdi, though Ralf's voice is perhaps a size too small to convey all Otello's overwhelming emotions. His partner in the oath duet is the firm baritone Josef Herrmann. These items are sung in the vernacular, as was then the custom in Germany. In the Carmen duet, also sung in German, Friedel Beckmann is a too ladylike gipsy and Preiser for some reason give us only half of the piece. Dick Johnson's last-act solo from La fanciulla is sung with an attractive and ringing tone.
Lemnitz joins Ralf again for the single pre-war item, the only one commonly found in its original 78rpm format: the duet from Lohengrin. Though Volker and Muller are superior in this music, this pair runs them a close second, particularly good at conveying the intimacy of the occasion. Ralf's Walther was heard in the complete pre-war Dresden Die Meistersinger Act 3 under Bohm on HMV (now available on Pearl—to be reviewed later), and also in the Prize Song from a 1936 Covent Garden performance under Beecham (Dutton Laboratories, 6/94). The ''Fanget an'' here adds nothing much to our knowledge of his interpretation of the role.'