You are right to avoid Solti, due the hysterical and excitable conducting.

I'd mix and match:

Rheingold - RAI/Furtwangler 1953 live + Barenboim
Walkure - MET/Leinsdorf 1940 live in Boston + 1954 Furtwangler (Naxos)
Siegfired - RAI/Furtwangler 1953 live
Gotterdammerung - Bayreuth/Knappertsbusch 1951 live

Essential supplements are:

Immolation scene Flagstad/Furtwangler live 1950 (Testament)
Scenes from Gott and Walkure
Melchoir/Traubel/Toscanini live 1940 (Guild Historical)
final 2 scenes Gott Hunter/Sadlers Wells/Goodall
studio 1972 in English (single Chandos budget price CD)

Plus keep an eye out for the long deleted Dohnanyi Rheingold and Walkure
for stunning sound & playing.

David Harbin
Nottingham UK

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