Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman) Christoph von Dohnányi conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on Decca is the strongest recent recording, with a committed Senta in Hildegard Behrens.
Lohengrin Georg Solti conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on Decca, with superb soloists in Placido Domingo and Jessye Norman.
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg) Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting the Bavarian State Orchestra on EMI has to be the best recording all round of modern times, with an unsurpassed Walther in Ben Heppner.
Parsifal Herbert von Karajan conducting the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra on Deutsche Grammophon (1980, Peter Hofmann in the title role) remains a recommended version. Or more recently there is Domingo and Norman under James Levine, also on DG.
Tannhäuser Most of the best sound recordings use the Paris version of the score. Giuseppe Sinopoli on Deutsche Grammophon, with soloists including Domingo and Agnes Baltsa (as Venus) has the edge.
Tristan und Isolde (Tristan and Isolde) Solti conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra on Decca has the great Wagnerian soprano Birgit Nilsson as Isolde, or try the more recent Teldec version under Daniel Barenboim, with Waltraud Meier and Siegfried Jerusalem in the title roles.
Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) Solti’s complete cycle with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra for Decca (1959–65) was a landmark in recording history and is still the great set, with a dazzling cast: Birgit Nilsson as Brünnhilde and stars like Hans Hotter, Wolfgang Windgassen, Joan Sutherland, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, in other roles. The legendary Kirsten Flagstad came out of retirement to sing Fricka. For a more modern version, Daniel Barenboim’s live recordings from Bayreuth on Teldec are impressive and feature the outstanding British bass John Tomlinson as Wotan.
Michael White is one of Britain’s best-known opera commentators. Formerly chief music critic at the Independent, he now writes for the Daily Telegraph and other publications. As a broadcaster he has presented Radio 3’s Opera in Action and has fronted Cardiff Singer of the World for TV.
Kevin Scott is an American-born painter, designer and opera producer, now living near Marlborough. He is co-founder and artistic director of the opera company Opera Inside Out.