's opera (1885) was never heard by the composer; it was staged briefly in Monte Carlo in 1894, shelved, and revived only in the 21st century. This is not its world premiere recording, but featuring a strong cast led by sopranos in the lead role and as her mother, Gudrun, it is preferable to an earlier release. One can see why audiences of its time found it bewildering and yet feel that, with this recording, its time may have come, an impression supported by the album's appearance on classical best-seller charts in the summer of 2023. The story is over the top, taken from a play by , and based on a bloody medieval legend of clan warfare superimposed with failed romance and vengeance from the titular character, complete with the heroine throwing herself into a fjord. It would be perfectly suited for an opera company that wanted to counter-program against horror films. 's music, in general, is thought to have shown the strong influence of , and that is certainly here in the heavy use of the brass and the soaring duets, but at heart, this is a French grand opera, with an admixture of at key points; the score falls pretty neatly into scenes, ariosos, duos, and so on, with a lengthy "ballet allegorique" taking up much of the fourth act. The work doubtless requires some suspension of disbelief, but in this rendition, with the and conductor , it moves along with loads of energy. Plus, there is a sterling example of the luxurious and comprehensive booklets produced by the specialist label . Available only in a numbered series of CDs, this is worth the splurge. ~ James Manheim