A few years after the completion of the famous Ring cylce recordings by
Decca during the sixties (with the VPO conducted by Solti), the producer
for the whole project, Mr. John Culshaw, published an account of these
recordings in a book intitled Ring Resounding, which I've just finished
to read.  It is a very interesting volume, full of anecdotes and it really
gives a an in-depth look on what goes on behind the scenes of the world of
recording and, in some aspects, of musicians.

In his book, Culshaw reffers to two people that he doesn't name, but I'm
sure some list members who are generally well informed could give us at
least a hint on who they where.  The first is a conductor who was so mad
at one of Culshaw's friend and colleague, Christofer Jennings, that when
Culshaw annouced him the death of Mr. Jennings he said: "God has punished
him and his family, for what he did to me" (Culshaw, op. cit,Time inc.,
p.22).  What had enraged so much our bad-tempered conductor was that after
a concert he had given a few months before in London, Mr. Jennings
published an article about the concert, "Along with it appeared an 'action'
picture to which the conductor took exception [...] The conductor made it
known to Starton [one of Decca's manager] that Jennings should be kept out
of his sight; he was disinclined even to visit the Decca offices unless he
could be assured that Jennings was else where" (Culshaw,idem,p.21).

The second one is a tenor that was engaged to sing the very difficult role
of Siegfried. He was replaced at very last minute (by Wolfgang Windgassen),
because though he had the voice to sing Siegried, he was so ill-prepared
when came the time of recording that Decca was forced to dismiss him.

Paul MacKay
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