Thanks for all of the recommendations. I really appreciate it. However, after listening to Wagner overtures and excerpts played by Bohm, Kubelik, Karajan, Klemperer, Szell, etc., I think no one mentioned one of my favorites: Eugene Ormandy. His performances stack up well compared to the gentlemen mentioned above, and sometimes he takes first place. His music sounds good throughout the entire piece, no poor spots, and of course I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the exquisite sound of the Philadelphia Orchestra. So, I think my fantasy Wagner-judging from the 5 CDs I bought recently-would be Szell conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra. Thanks, T. Boyce