The Valkyries or Die Walkure, WWV 86B, is a music drama in three acts by Richard Wagner with a German libretto.  It is the second work in the four pieces that form Der Ring des Nibelungen or The Ring of the Nibelung.

It is a retelling of the Volsunga Saga and Edda based on Norse mythology.  It tells of the female warriors known as the Valkyrie who decide which soldiers die in battle.  The best known excerpt of this is the Ride of the Valkyries.

The premiere performance of this work was at the Munich Konighliches Hof-und National Theater on June 26, 1870.  This work was premiered separated from the rest of the four pieces at the insistence of Wagner’s patron, King Ludwig II of Bavaria.  The 1955 recording of this epic opera is considered one of the two definitive recordings.

It is a larger than life recording and as such fully merits the 10 out of 10 rating that we at Aloha Promises Forever give it.  Having said that, listening to it all the way through every 10 years or so is perhaps a good approach.  Failing that at least once in a lifetime might suffice for most.

Die Walküre may be heard in its entirety here: