Klaus Tennstedt is chiefly remembered for his critically acclaimed recordings of the symphonies of Anton Bruckner and Gustav Mahler, which he made from the late 1970s to the early '90s with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Tennstedt was less often associated with the music of Richard Wagner, and his few recordings of orchestral excerpts from the music dramas seemed his only connection to the master of Bayreuth. Yet in October 1991, Tennstedt recorded two concert performances of Act I of Die Walküre, which demonstrated an affinity for Wagner that likely developed in his early years of conducting operas. Despite the massiveness of forces in the orchestra, this is a rather close-up and intimate performance with three important Wagnerian singers -- René Kollo as Siegmund, Eva-Maria Bundschuh as Sieglinde, and Bayreuth veteran John Tomlinson as Hunding -- and their live presentation is full of intensity and passion, with great presence and central placement in the stereo mix. Recorded at the Southbank Center's Royal Festival Hall, this archival recording was assembled from two concerts, but the editing is clean and the illusion of one continuous performance is successful. This 2016 release will be a treat for Tennstedt's admirers, and it is a fine introduction to one of Wagner's most popular works.