In this extraordinary 1993 gala evening at the Berlin State Opera, the Staatskapelle Berlin and its Music Director (and conductor for life!) Daniel Barenboim invited a host of illustrious soloists to join them in an irresistible program dedicated to two of the biggest names in opera: Wagner and Verdi! The concert opens with excerpts from four of Verdi's major works, featuring one of the foremost experts in the composer's repertoire, Plácido Domingo: the Overture to the Sicilian Vespers, the aria "Ah! Sì, ben moi" from Il Trovatore, the Prelude to Act II and "Lunga da lei" from La Traviata, and — a highlight of the evening — the ballet music and aria "Niun mi tema" from Act IV of Otello, a role that Domingo has sung many times (with more performances recorded on film than any other artist). But the pièce de résistance of this concert is a legendary performance of Act I of Die Walküre, the second part of Wagner's Ring, featuring American soprano Deborah Polaski, a remarkable interpreter of Wagner, and the legendary British bass Sir John Tomlinson.