Dido and Aeneas 1952 and Gotterdammerung Act III, Scene 3 1948

"The immediate opening is magical – the strings extremely resonant, rich and deeply emotional – Geraint Jones allows the music to breathe, creating an almost sobbing sound from the lamenting instruments. It is also very slow indeed compared to many modern performances – and it works very well taken at this pace. The faster section of the overture is very punctuated, staccato and rather mechanical, a style which crops up from time to time on this recording. When the presumably fairly small chorus enter, it is an incredibly intimate moment – you really feel that they are there in the room with you... The ending is similarly mixed – Flagstad’s “Away, away! No, no, away!” is just brilliant – gloriously characterful, and really brings the imperious and stubborn queen to life. The following chorus “Great minds against themselves conspire” contains some utterly gorgeous singing from the chorus – radiant, delicate and shimmering. The opening of Dido’s Lament left me slightly cold, as Flagstad comes across as resigned, rather than sorrowful and her words are not very clear. Even so, as she builds up to the great “Remember me” moment, she packs a real emotional punch – and together with the sobbing strings, is incredibly moving. Although this recording of Dido and Aeneas is not flawless, it is nonetheless an amazing rendition – fascinating to hear such singers as Flagstad and Schwarzkopf in these roles, and there are some staggeringly good, and touching, moments. Those familiar with Nimbus and their technology won’t be surprised at the superlative sound quality – so, overall, an absolute must for anyone interested in opera or who loves this seminal English work." Em Marshall, MusicWeb International