RING RESOUNDING

John Culshaw, classical-music director of the Decca Record Company, Ltd., London, tells the story behind the tapes that became the first complete recording of Wagner's Ring. It took seven years (1958-1965) to set down fifteen hours of music. Culshaw presided over all of it and scanned Europe for the great performers, induced Flagstad to come out of retirement and sing a role she had never performed. The correspondence with Flagstand as cancer forced her to give up further participation in the Ring recording is a particularly personalized and poignant part of this account. Culshaw tells something about recording per se and the use of new techniques for effects not previously accessible and all of it is scored for operaphiles in general. Wagnerians in particular.