Christa Ludwig sings Wagner, Brahms, Mahler & Beethoven (2006)

Despite what one might initially think, the best performances here are not the Brahms Alto Rhapsody or even the Mahler lieder. No, as great as those performances are -- and they are assuredly among the greatest recordings of those works ever made -- the best performances here are the Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde and "Abscheulicher!" from Beethoven's Fidelio. Why? Because as gloriously warm and wonderfully radiant as Christa Ludwig was as a mezzo-soprano in the Brahms and Mahler selections -- and there were few ... Read More

Despite what one might initially think, the best performances here are not the Brahms Alto Rhapsody or even the Mahler lieder. No, as great as those performances are -- and they are assuredly among the greatest recordings of those works ever made -- the best performances here are the Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde and "Abscheulicher!" from Beethoven's Fidelio. Why? Because as gloriously warm and wonderfully radiant as Christa Ludwig was as a mezzo-soprano in the Brahms and Mahler selections -- and there were few who could match her and none that could surpass her -- Christa Ludwig was, briefly, a soprano of heroic stature and epic strength in the Wagner and Beethoven selections. Thankfully, Ludwig held herself back from going all the way into the soprano repertoire, thereby saving her voice from almost inevitable disaster, and these are among her very few soprano recordings. Still, so searingly beautiful and supremely dramatic are Ludwig's portrayal of Isolde and Leonore, that one almost... Read Less

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2006, Warner Classics UPC: 094636159621 CD See All