River of Music: The majestic "immolation scene" from Wagner's Götterdämmerung

Götterdämmerung is the fourth and final opera in Richard Wagner's famous Ring Cycle – and this scene from Act III is a glorious climax to our River of Music! Listen carefully for the most famous Ring leitmotif of all – the Ride of the Valkyries from Die Walküre (and Apocalypse Now). This recording is part of the first ever complete recording of Wagner's Ring Cycle: still one of the greatest achievements in recorded music.

Richard Wagner, Götterdämmerung, Act III: Immolation Scene. Birgit Nilsson (soprano), Gottlob Frick (bass), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Georg Solti (conductor), 1964.

Stream or download all 12 hours of River of Music via the Radio 3 website throughout November 2016.