Hans Hopf in Leinsdorf's 1962 Siegfried

"This uncut "Siegfried" was full of delightful discoveries. I can offer Erich Leinsdorf no higher praise than to say that the beautiful playing of the orchestra brought back may vivid memories of Fritz Stiedry's inspired interpretation of this score. Nowhere was Wagner's miraculous sense of color and atmosphere more subtly employed than in this music, which stirs the intellect as it intoxicates the senses."
- Musical America, 1962

Siegfried is a tour de force for any Wagnerian tenor, and only the very greatest manage this supremely demanding role well. Hans Hopf here is superb. His voice is large and carries a certain heft that the role demands. He also possesses that rare stamina that enables him to sing this role successfully. He sounds just as fresh in Act 3 as he did in Act 1. 

Meanwhile Birgitt Nilsson is a superlative Brünnhilde, and Erich Leinsdorf directs the ensemble to near perfection. An essential addition to any Wagner collection, this release brings us three-quarters of the way through this epic Met Opera Wagner Ring cycle.