A favorite Wagner performance from fletcher

Júlia Várady‘s smoldering, almost feral Sieglinde from the Sawallisch/Lehnhoff Ring, remains my favorite.

Specifically ‘Der Männer Sippe’ is second perhaps only to Borkh in raw intensity but with the benefit of a video recording. She’s attentive to the text in a way she wasn’t always in Italian, and her throbbing tone is ideal for a woman pushed to the edge who sees her chance of escape even if it costs everything. In ‘Du bist der Lenz’ she’s passionate but vulnerable; if not traditionally Wagnerian, her strident tone matches the moment perfectly. There’s even a schrei!

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