Bayreuth is the holy grail of Wagner lovers and this outstanding disc captures great choral moments from Wagner’s operas over a period of nearly 30 years, with key ‘big’ moments from seven operas, from the Sawallisch Tannhäuser (1962) to Peter Schneider’s Lohengrin (1990).

The choruses are among the glories of Wagner’s stage works. They are central, not extraneous, to the action, and the mood and style of each reflect the dramatic imperatives of the work concerned. This anthology includes the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin, the Sailors’ Chorus from The Flying Dutchman, the Pilgrims’ Chorus from Tannhäuser as well as the Guild Choruses from Die Mesitersinger and the dark Vassals’ Chorus from Götterdämmerung, plus three defining moments from Wagner’s farewell to the world – Parsifal.

Recorded: 1985 (Der fliegende Holländer)
Recorded live: 1990 (Lohengrin), 1962 (Tannhäuser), 1974 (Die Meistersinger), 1980 (Götterdämmerung), 1985 (Parsifal)