I am not sure if the technophile Herbert von Karajan would be delighted or appalled at the thought of his Ring Cycle being released in the latest high-definition format 50 years after the first instalment was recorded. This latest incarnation is newly remastered at 24-bit/96kHz and comes on a single blu-ray disc (incompatible with CD or DVD players) taking advantage of the 25 GB capacity of the format.

 

So how does it sound? I compared it side by side with the 1998 Originals issue and the difference was immediately apparent. That earlier incarnation was a vast improvement on the first CD mastering; opening out the sound, deepening the perspectives and enriching the tonal palette. This time around the change is more subtle but deeply...