Thanks again, Evan; I agree with virtually your every word. I must reacquaint myself with the Haitink version but he is not a conductor I have ever found suited to Wagner and the inadequacies in the cast do indeed give me pause. I cannot agree the merits of the more recent Janowski recording; I'm afraid that there are several singers there for whom I can summon up no enthusiasm at all.
In the end, I guess I have no clear recommendation for the Dresden version, although you have just as much authority and knowledge (such as they are) as I when it comes to choice and discretion. However, Konwitschny reverts to the Dresden version only for a small section of Act 2 and Sawallisch live in 1961 (Orfeo) and 1962 (Philips) plays the Dresden version except for including the Paris Bacchanale. Windgassen is never ideal but you do have Bumbry causing a sensation as "The Black Venus". There is also Sawallisch's 1972 recording with Janowitz, again mostly Dresden with the Paris Bacchanale. I don't rate the live 1968 Gerdes recording which is similar to the Konwitschny in reverting briefly to Paris in Act 2 but is poor on several levels. However, we do have the Cluytens recording, which is almost all Dresden except for the Bacchanale, so perhaps that would be your best bet. I review it approvingly here:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2018/May/Wagner_Tannhauser_C643043D.htm
In the end, for me, nobody touches Solti for thrills.
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