Wagner: Lohengrin: Preludes to Acts 1 & 3

A stunning Wagner collection including all the major overtures and preludes (including the very rare and very beautiful Die Feen [The Fairies]), this collection is noteworthy for other reasons. For a start, it brings together in a single collection the complete Decca Wagner recordings of Zubin Mehta and the complete Philips Wagner recordings of Edo de Waart. It also features two rarities - Wagner's early Symphony (with the San Francisco Symphony and Edo de Waart) and a tiny choral piece - Kinderkatechismus - an absolute Decca rarity and much sought-after by collectors.

CD 1 rolls off with The Ride of the Valkyries, CD 2 with The Flying Dutchman Overture – there’s over 150 minutes of Wagner on this star compilation.

Of course, Wagner also wrote big ballads as well, so there’s the Siegfried Idyll, the Tristan Prelude and Liebestod and the ethereal Prelude to Lohengrin

The big names are there, above all Karajan, Böhm, Kubelik and Jochum. It’s a mainly orchestral set, with just the Lohengrin Bridal Chorus and two extracts from The Ring (conducted by Karajan) to remind you that Wagner was writing operas.

The perfect Wagner starter-set!