This Original Jackets collection offers the opportunity to celebrate the art of Hans Knappertsbusch, held in the deepest affection by many of the musicians and singers who worked with him.

He was considered by many as High Priest of Bayreuth, and accordingly this edition includes his 1951 and 1962 Bayreuth traversals of Parsifal as well as the heartwarming Vienna Meistersinger of 1950–51, the Munich Fidelio of 1961 and several highlights with notable opera stars of his time.

“He was such a king, such a lord” Hans Hotter on Hans Knappertsbusch

“Hans Knappertsbusch placed his trust in the inspiration of the moment and relied on a musicianship born of impulse, risking a great deal in his attempt to preserve freshness and spontaneity” Uwe Kraemer

MONO: CDs 5–12, 19
STEREO: CDs 1–4, 13–18