Wagner: Lohengrin - Kempe, Vienna Philharmonic (3 CDs)

Wagner: Lohengrin
Jess Thomas (Lohengrin), Elisabeth Grümmer (Elsa von Brabant), Christa Ludwig (Ortrud), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Friedrich von Telramund), Gottlob Frick (König Heinrich der Vogler) & Otto Wiener (Herald)
Chor der Wiener Staatsoper & Wiener Philharmoniker, Rudolf Kempe

Praised as much for its visionary intensity as for its vivid sense of theatre, this Lohengrin, conducted by Rudolf Kempe and recorded in Vienna, unites an exceptional cast: Jess Thomas in the title role, both idealised hero and vulnerable man; the radiant Elisabeth Grümmer as Elsa and, as Ortrud and Telramund, Christa Ludwig and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, subtly bringing extra dimensions to the two villains of the piece.