From the Archives: The Hertz Era

The Symphony's recorded history begins in 1925, as the eminent German maestro Alfred Hertz (1872–1942) brought his orchestra into the recording studio for its first sessions. Hertz's 24 recordings with the San Francisco Symphony have been treasured collector's items for generations, until recently all but inaccessible. This episode brings the sound of the 1920s San Francisco Symphony back to life for modern listeners.

From the Archives: An Overview

The Symphony’s legacy on records is vast. This first episode provides an introductory overview of the whole. Along the way, we’ll learn about some of the challenges of assembling a complete collection of the Symphony’s surviving recordings, and explore the impact of evolving audio technology on the San Francisco Symphony.

Wagner's Götterdämmerung

Wagner, taking inspiration from Nordic mythology, wrote the Ring Cycle to tell the epic tale of the magical golden ring of the Nibelung.  Granting its owner the power to rule the world, the ring is coveted by many, including Wotan, the ruler of the Gods.  The saga of the ring is chronicled in four operas--Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung. This final opera opens as morning dawns on the lovers Siegfried and Brünnhilde , continues to his betrayal of her in pursuit of the ring, and finally ends with Brünnhilde’s Immolation, when she casts herself on the fire of Siegfried’s funeral pyre to rid the ring of its curse and return it to the Rhine Maidens, its rightful owners.