MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Wagner: Tannhauser (complete opera recorded in 1962)

"...the electricity of a special occasion caught on the wing is undeniable, especially in the opening Venusberg ballet scene and subsequent diagolue between Venus and Tannhäuser. Windgassen, a double-alumni of the Ring cycle with both Solti and Boehm, gives a superb portrayal as Tannhäuser, bringing a sympathetic edge to what is otherwise an insufferable character." FlyinmgInkspot

"Philips's sound is sumptuous, if just a tad harsh, communicating Bayreuth's unique string sound to near perfection. But that would mean little without Sawallisch, one of the most underrated conductors of the 20th century. His Tannhäuser is intense, driven, passionate, headlong, wonderfully disciplined, with nary a false step." Stereophile