Karl Muck was a largely self-taught musician, who in his formative years divided his time between musical activities and linguistic studies in Heidelberg and Leipzig. Appointed principal conductor of the Berlin State Opera in 1892, Muck substantially consolidated his position as one of the leading exponents of Wagner. As well as guest conducting all over Europe, including at Covent Garden in London, at Bayreuth in 1901 he conducted Parsifal (excerpts from the 1927 Bayreuth recording are available on Naxos 8.110049–50), a work with which he maintained a special affinity and which he continued to conduct there for the next three decades. His strict rehearsal technique and fidelity to the score became the stuff of legend, as did his irascible temperament if these demands were not fully met by his collaborators. Nevertheless, Muck’s special authority had the advantage of being borne of direct contact with Wagner’s own time, and his style is characterized by a common sense of form, pace and structure that lends deep-rooted conviction to the music without overstatement or flamboyance.