The Berlin Philharmonic are on excellent form for their latest Wagner compilation, and the RCA producers have returned to the Ber- lin Jesus-Christus-Kirche, where so many of the orchestra’s famous analogue recordings were made. The digital sound picture is cleanly focused, the orchestra set slightly back, its image fresh, clear and well balanced. Maazel directs a spirited Rienzi and the Lohengrin Third Act Prelude is vivid enough, but when, after the not exactly inspired Faust overture, one comes to the Prelude to Die Meistersinger – which he paces admirably, the violins having a realistic sheen and clear inner detail, and the cellos plenty of warmth – the ear craves rather more sumptuousness and a deeper, more naturally resonant bass.
The lovely ‘Siegfried Idyll’ is beautifully played. It begins with innocent simplicity, and Maazel’s affectionate rubato is nicely judged, the ebb and flow of tension admirably controlled. After the climax the concentration of the performance increases as the music diminuendos, and the actual close is ravishing. The principal horn (slighty recessed) plays splendidly in the closing Siegfried’s Rhine journey, which after an evocative opening and a sudden urgent accelerando (not entirely convincing), makes a spectacular and exciting end to the concert.'