The history of recoded sound distinguishes it as the first live recording of a complete Act of The Ring. In the story of Bayreuth it has a special place as representing something of the first Ring produced there after the Second World War.In the career of Herbert von Karajan it finds him in his first season at Bayreuth and on the threshold of the international success which accorded him such an exalted place in the musical world of his time"" Thus wrote John B. Steane in part of his 1993 introduction to this recording .