Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - The Beecham Collection: Wagner, Delius & Schubert (2014)

Wagner’s Overture Rienzi was a comparative rarity in Beecham programmes, given how much Wagner he conducted over his long career. Few now remain who can recall his legendary “Ring” cycles at the Royal Opera House before the Second World War or even his 1951 Die Meistersinger there. Otherwise experience of Sir Thomas’s way with Wagner rests on those works included in his orchestral programmes during the last decade of his life, not least his last full Wagner evening on 6th December 1956, which opened with the Rienzi Overture on this disc and which included Tannhäuser: Introduction to Act 3; Lohengrin: Prelude to Act 1; Act 3 scenes 1 and 2, plus excerpts from Das Rheingold, Siegfried, Parsifal and with a stunning performance of The Ride of the Valkyries as an encore. Sir Thomas made his customary short address to the audience at the end. The previous test match series had been rather low scoring and he said: Well, ladies and Gentlemen, a tough evening, slogging all the way – like the test match, not many runs!