BERLIN (Reuters) - Blood-red bricks of wax are shifted by conveyor belts up metal chutes towards the centre of an atrium before thudding down and splattering like entrails, in a monumental new installation created by artist Anish Kapoor for his new show in Berlin.

A giant, dark sun-like red disk hovers above the ever-growing heaps of wax splodges in "Symphony for a Beloved Sun", which opens Kapoor's first major exhibit in Berlin, running until November 24 in the Martin Gropius Bau exhibition hall.

"Kapoor in Berlin" includes works that the Turner prize-winning artist has created specifically for this show as well as a selection of other provocative sculptures dating back to the 1980s, made with wax, steel, resin, stone and mirrors.

The artworks range from frightening installations like "Symphony" - which recalls the industrialized murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust - to playful curved or geometrically fragmented mirrors which one might find in an amusement park.

"It refers to the history of this place, obliquely to the Holocaust, and to Russian Constructivists," British curator and art historian Norman Rosenthal told Reuters.

The Gropius Bau is housed in an elegant neo-Renaissance pile destroyed in World War Two and re-opened only in 1981. It is located next to the former site of the headquarters of the Gestapo, Nazi Germany's murderous secret police.

From the windows, visitors can also glimpse a stretch of the Berlin Wall that divided western and communist eastern Germany throughout the Cold War.

"You can see each of those red bricks as incorporating the innards of dead spirits - and there are lots of them in this part of the world," said Rosenthal.

Kapoor, who speaks with an upper-class British accent, is one of Britain's most renowned contemporary sculptors and created the country's biggest piece of public art with his controversial, 22 million pound ($33.31 million) spiraling red tower for London's Olympic Park.

But the artist was born and raised in India to an Iraqi-Jewish mother and a Hindu father, and spent a brief period in Israel aged 16 living on a kibbutz before settling in Britain.

"Inevitably (the installation) does have some relation to this site, to this city, to this country, to its history," Kapoor told Reuters.

One German paper noted that the Swastika symbol adopted by the Nazis, signifies the sun in some civilizations and in the Hindu tradition is a symbol for good fortune.

The 59-year old, who sported a casual blue suit, red sneakers and floppy silver hair, said that he did not want to convey a narrative or statement with his work. Rather, the process of the artwork should yield a deeper meaning.

"I was born and brought up in India, my work is Indian and not Indian," he said. "Similarly, Jewishness is one of those things that is there present as a reality but it's not something I directly draw upon."

HALLS OF MIRRORS

The show includes some of Kapoor's classic works such as "Shooting into the Corner", in which a canon periodically fires a ball of red wax into a white corner, and "The Death of Leviathan", a gargantuan maroon PVC balloon that sprawls through several rooms.

Kapoor said the deflating piece evoked "the death of the state, the decline of the state" being experienced in Europe and beyond, the idea that the individual has to take on the responsibility for tasks previously assumed by the state.

The London-based artist said the British government was failing to acknowledge the importance of the arts and education sector and offer adequate financial support.

"It need to pull its socks up and do something, take on a kind of responsibility," he said.

The exhibition feels something like an amusement park at times, with its halls of mirrors and the cave-like sculptures made with stone or warty resin evocative of ear wax that visitors can peer through.

Other artworks are like optical illusions. In "When I'm Pregnant", a subtle bulge emerges from the white wall, while the black disk in the middle of the floor in "Descent into Limbo" seems to be a gaping hole opening into a bottomless pit.

Rosenthal said Kapoor was constantly playing with the tension between the idea of a black hole and a certain density, "a kind of infinity that is unbelievably beautiful".

(Reporting By Sarah Marsh)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Vera Wang, arguably the queen of red-carpet dressing, didn't go into the fashion business with stars in her eyes. She knew about its unglamorous side, the hard work and, especially, the risks. And there were plenty of doubts along the way.

But every time one person and, she says, it really just takes one understands what she's trying to express with a certain drape of a fabric, a particular color or a new silhouette, she's reminded of the reason why she became involved in fashion, and why she's still in it: There's an indefinable payoff that comes when she's helped a woman look and feel her best.

"I didn't come into this like all these teenagers who don't know better. I wasn't a 'young, new designer,' but I was a new designer and had to go through those growing pains. The risks were apparent to me, and I had seen so many of my friends go through ups and downs," Wang said in a recent interview.

Wang, 63, was honored for lifetime achievement by the Council of Fashion Designers at its star-studded awards show Monday night at Lincoln Center. She accepted the award from her mentor (and former employer) Ralph Lauren.

"To all the women and men I have dressed, thank you for your trust," she said during her acceptance speech.

There's rarely a Hollywood event or an A-list wedding where Wang's name doesn't come up. You probably couldn't go into a shopping mall without seeing it, either.

Her hit parade includes the lavender skirt actress Sharon Stone paired with a Gap shirt at the Oscars in 1998, Chelsea Clinton's crystal-waistband wedding gown in 2010 and the rose-printed gray jacquard chiffon blouse and evening robe worn with gray rose-printed pants that closed her last catwalk show at New York Fashion Week.

She has a lower-priced line at Kohl's and another one at David's Bridal. She's developed a fragrance business and home-goods collection. And she has branded FTD flower bouquets.

In an email to The Associated Press ahead of the CFDA ceremony, Lauren wrote that when "Vera Wang came to work for me over 23 years ago I saw a unique young woman filled with a rare passion for fashion. In all the years since, I have watched her drive, dedication and talent shape an entire world inspired by her own life first as a bride, then as a wife and mother, but always as a strong and beautiful woman."

Wang, however, wasn't always sure this would be her path. She studied art history at Sarah Lawrence College and was a competitive figure skater in contention for a spot on the 1968 U.S. Olympic team. Her family wasn't initially supportive of fashion as a career path, and although they had some financial means, they didn't back her at first. So she went to work as an editor at Vogue, and then at Ralph Lauren. She had earned her stripes.

"I first met Vera over 30 years ago when she was working at Vogue, and the only thing that has gone quicker than those three decades is Vera herself," said Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. "Whether she's designing, ice-skating, fundraising, or flitting from here to her house in L.A. and back again, she is constantly on the move and striving to do more, more, more. She leaves us all in the dust!"

Wang launched her company in 1990 as a bridal brand with a shop at the Carlyle Hotel on Madison Avenue and a sinking feeling in her stomach. She still feels that way sometimes when she's about to take another big leap, she acknowledged, but said each success pushes her to go a little farther.

She says being on top requires a combination of "responsibility, dedication, love and passion." That delicate balance comes through in her artful style.

"I was always taught that anyone should be able to pursue their dream and that the biggest crime is not to try. That made me motivated, and I didn't want to wonder what could have happened."

The perk that comes with it all? "I have a great closet," she said.

Wang has served on the CFDA board, so she knows how thoughtful the process is when selecting a lifetime honoree.

"This is beyond anything I could have expected. I had informed other designers they had gotten the award. ... It was such a shock to get the call" from CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg. "She said, 'Sit down. You're going to like this.'"

The hardest part other than choosing what to wear was pulling together a retrospective of styles for a video tribute that would suit such a perfectionist.

"The ongoing, unmitigating truth is I would have done anything to be in fashion," said Wang. I would have swept floors, which I did at Vogue, swept up hair from a model's haircut, pack up clothes, stay on a Friday night after the store closed to get it ready for the next day, which I did at Ralph (Lauren). Still, I always felt privileged to have this job. How lucky am I to have gotten here?"

___

Follow Samantha Critchell at http://www.twitter.com/ap_fashion and http://www.twitter.com/sam_critchell

(Reuters) - Veteran Democratic Congressman Ed Markey has extended his lead over Republican Gabriel Gomez in the race to fill Massachusetts's open seat in the Senate, according to a poll released on Wednesday.

Some 52 percent of registered voters said they supported Markey, compared with 40 percent backing former Navy SEAL Gomez, the New England College poll found. That is a broader lead than earlier polls.

The split largely reflected the state's overwhelmingly Democratic electorate, said Ben Tafoya, who ran the poll.

"The clock is running out for Gomez, but it's not inconceivable that something could happen in the debates to change things," Tafoya said.

The two candidates will face off Wednesday night in the first of three debates leading up to the June 25 special election to fill the seat that became available when President Barack Obama named then-Senator John Kerry as secretary of state.

The seat is one of two at play in the U.S. Senate, where Democrats currently enjoy a majority of 54 seats, including two independents who caucus with the Democrats, to 45 seats held by Republicans.

The death of New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg earlier this week leaves one seat open. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican, has called an October 16 special election to fill that seat. Christie has said he will pick someone to fill the seat on an interim basis until the special election.

In Massachusetts, Democrat William Cowan is serving as interim senator until that state's special election.

Markey and Gomez have made the national Republican Party an issue in the Massachusetts race, with Markey's campaign trying to tie Gomez to a party that tacks more conservative than many Massachusetts voters, while Gomez has stressed his independence.

Gomez, a private equity executive, told voters in Springfield early this week that if elected, he might be regarded as a "pain in the butt" by many Republican leaders in Washington.

Massachusetts's other sitting senator, Democrat Elizabeth Warren, defeated Scott Brown in November with a campaign strategy focused on tying him to the national Republican leadership.

In the New England College poll, roughly three-quarters of registered voters in each party backed their party's candidate, with Gomez enjoying a slight lead among independents. The poll surveyed 734 voters on June 1 and 2.

For Gomez, the challenge will be to win over independents, Tafoya said.

(Writing by Scott Malone; editing by John Wallace)

HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- Three health insurance companies plan to sell health insurance through the federal insurance marketplace in Montana.

Montana Insurance Commissioner Monica Lindeen says Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, PacificSource Health Plans and the Montana Health CO-OP filed paperwork with her office by the May 15 deadline.

In August, insurers will make a final commitment to sell insurance on the marketplace, which was created under the Affordable Care Act.

The marketplace website is scheduled to open in October, allowing Montanans to search for products with coverage beginning in January 2014.

The market is designed to create competition, transparency and easy access to health insurance for consumers.

The ruling and heavy jail time of up to five years deepen worries over the operations of non-governmental organizations in Egypt as parliament considers a bill proposed by Islamist President Mohammed Morsi that critics warn will profoundly restrict their activities.

The verdict was strongly denounced by the United States, with Secretary of State John Kerry and a host of powerful lawmakers expressing their outrage and berating the trial and the verdict as politically motivated and incompatible with Egypt's transition to democratic rule.

The defendants were convicted on charges of receiving foreign funds to foment unrest in Egypt. The charges were rooted in claims that the non-profit groups, which were working in various forms of democracy training, were fueling protests in 2011 against the military, which took power after the fall of autocrat Hosni Mubarak in February that year.

The verdict, read out by judge Makram Awad, also ordered the closure of the offices and seizure of the assets in Egypt belonging to the U.S. nonprofit groups and a German organization for which many of the defendants worked. These are the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, Freedom House, a center for training journalists, and Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

All but one of the Americans were sentenced in absentia because they had long left the country, including Sam LaHood, son of the U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. He received a five-year jail term.

The only American defendant who remained in Egypt throughout the trial was Robert Becker, who was sentenced to two years. He left on a flight to Rome on Tuesday just hours after the verdict was announced, according to a Cairo airport official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

Becker had said he refused to flee with the other Americans before the trial to show solidarity with his Egyptian colleagues.

"I am honored to have stood in a cage for a dozen hearings this past year-and-a-half with my colleagues," Becker, 44, who was not in the courtroom Tuesday, wrote in a blog entry the night before. "They are my brothers and sisters and personal heroes, and no trial verdict will break that bond."

Becker's ex-wife of seven years, the Rev. Lisa McGehee, 48, of suburban Richmond, Virginia, said she was saddened by the conviction, but was proud of Becker for standing up for his beliefs.

"As long as I have known him, he will fight for the underdog and for what he believes to be truth," said McGehee, a minister at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Glen Allen.

McGehee still keeps in touch with Becker and his family but she had not spoken to either since the verdict.

Of the 43 defendants, 27 received five-year jail terms. Another five received two years while 11, all of them Egyptian, got suspended one-year sentences. In Egypt, defendants tried in absentia typically are convicted and receive the maximum sentence for a specific offense. However, if they return and give themselves up, they also get an automatic retrial.

On trial beside the Egyptians and Americans were eight other foreigners, of Serbian, Palestinian, Lebanese, and other nationalities.

In a statement, Kerry said closing the offices and seizure of the assets of the groups "contradicts the Government of Egypt's commitments to support the role of civil society as a fundamental actor in a democracy and contributor to development, especially at this critical stage in the Egyptian people's democratic transition."

"I urge the Government of Egypt to work with civic groups as they respond to the Egyptian people's aspirations for democracy as guaranteed in Egypt's new constitution."

Three senior Republican senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte warned that, if left unchanged, the verdict will have "significant negative implications" for Washington's relations with Cairo.

"It is increasingly impossible to argue that the Egyptian government is safeguarding and advancing the democratic values that inspired the Egyptian revolution of 2011," they said.

Democratic Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania made a similar threat in a separate statement, saying the verdict will have a "serious impact" on relations with Egypt. "I call upon the Egyptian authorities to immediately review and overturn this misguided decision," he said in a statement.

Egypt and the United States have been close allies for more than three decades, with the Egyptian military receiving more than $1 billion in aid annually. The aid is linked to Egypt's adherence to the American-mediated 1979 peace treaty with Israel, Washington's closest Middle East ally. Besides the $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid, Egypt also receives about $250 million in economic aid every year.

Beside its annual aid to Egypt, U.S. leverage can be decisive in determining whether the International Monetary Fund gives Egypt a $4.8 billion loan to kick start its ailing economy. While the proposed loan can only meet some of Egypt's pressing needs, it would unlock billions of dollars in pledged aid by Gulf Arab nations and Europe.

Germany, one of Egypt's biggest donors and trade partners, was also angered by the verdict. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called the ruling "troubling" and said it weakens civil society, "which is an important pillar of democracy in the new democratic Egypt."

Heba Morayef, the Egypt director of Human Rights Watch, said she was baffled by the conviction.

"Everyone knew it was a politicized trial and the judge could have had a way out if he suspended everyone's sentence," she said. "The trial, in some ways, reflects the paranoia that is in the president's draft law for non-governmental organizations."

Morsi has proposed a controversial bill regulating NGOs, soon to be debated by the interim, Islamist-dominated parliament.

The bill would allow the state to control nonprofits' activities as well as their domestic and international funding, Human Rights Watch said last week. "It is extremely repressive," Morayef said.

In a joint statement last week, 40 Egyptian rights groups accused Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm of seeking to curb the freedom of rights groups through legal restrictions. They said the proposed law potentially gives Egypt's security apparatus the power to suppress rights group, drawing parallels to Egypt's recent past under Mubarak's 29-year rule.

They also expressed fears that foreign nonprofits would be treated with hostility and that vaguely worded legislation would hinder operations or the issuance of work permits.

Nonprofit pro-democracy groups have trained thousands of young Egyptians in political activism and organizing, an education that played a key part in the success of the 2011 uprising that toppled Mubarak.

The crackdown against the nonprofit groups began in late December 2011, when Egyptian security raided offices of 10 pro-democracy and human rights groups. The 43 NGO workers, including the 16 Americans, were then charged with using illegal funds and promoting protests against the then-ruling military.

The groups hotly denied the charges. Nine of the Americans charged happened to be out of the country when the raids took place. Before the trial started, six other American defendants, including Sam LaHood, were flown out of the country after paying bail in not yet fully explained circumstances. The deal, however, could not have been struck without the approval of the then-ruling military.

During the trial, the prosecution maintained that the four U.S. groups and the German organization illegally received about $50 million in funds, most after Mubarak's fall. It claimed that the groups were engaged in illegal polling, training in political activism and other actions without the knowledge or the approval of authorities.

Their activity, prosecutor Abdullah Yassin told the court last year, amounted to an "infringement of the sovereignty of the state of Egypt.

The trial clearly took its toll on some of the defendants.

Egyptian Nancy Okail, who received a five-year sentence, wrote on her Facebook page that hearing her sentence took her back to the first time she was shoved into the defendants' cage in the Cairo courtroom.

"I was suddenly transformed to the very first moment when I was shoved into the court cage, with the smell and the echoing sound in the court and my mixed sense of fear and unlimited strength when my eyes fell on the first sentence scribbled on the cage wall: 'If defending justice is a crime, then long live criminality'." Okail said she was currently in Washington.

Defense lawyer Negad Borai said none of the defendants were in detention and that they could now either surrender to authorities to go to jail pending their appeal or, if they don't, be issued with arrest warrants.

___

Associated Press writer Michael Felberbaum in Richmond, Virginia, contributed to this story.

The Hall of Fame defensive end credited with terming the word sack for how he knocked down quarterbacks, was 74. The Washington Redskins said that Jones died of natural causes at his home in Southern California on Monday night.

"Deacon Jones was one of the greatest players in NFL history. Off the field, he was a true giant," said Redskins general manager Bruce Allen, whose father, George, coached Jones with the Los Angeles Rams. "His passion and spirit will continue to inspire those who knew him. He was a cherished member of the Allen family and I will always consider him my big brother."

Because sacks didn't become an official statistic until 1982, Jones' total is uncertain. His impact as a premier pass rusher and team leader is not.

Jones was the leader of the Rams' Fearsome Foursome unit from 1961-71 and then played for San Diego for two seasons before finishing his career with the Redskins in 1974. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and made the league's 75th anniversary all-time squad.

"Deacon Jones has been the most inspirational person in my football career," said former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood.

Jones made the Pro Bowl every year from 1964-70 and played in eight overall. He combined with fellow Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier and Lamar Lundy on a defensive line that at times was unblockable.

Olsen died in March 2010 at age 69 and Lundy died in February 2007 at 71. Grier, who is 80, is the only surviving member of the Fearsome Foursome.

George Allen, who coached the Fearsome Foursome, called Jones the "greatest defensive end of modern football." The Allen family had Jones present George Allen for his Hall of Fame induction in 2002.

The Rams' stats show Jones with 159 1/2 sacks for them and 173 1/2 for his career all unofficial, of course. Jones also was one of the most durable players, missing just five games in his 14 pro seasons.

A 14th-round draft pick in 1961 out of Mississippi Valley State, which later produced Jerry Rice, Jones was the first defensive lineman with 100 solo tackles, reaching that mark in 1967.

"The thing we've got to remember being players in this era is to really respect the game 'back when,' because those guys could really play," said Chris Long of the Rams, whose father, Howie, also is in the Hall of Fame. "Deacon Jones is a perfect example. This whole league and everybody in this game should honor the past and the players who played in that era. Those guys paved the way for us."

Jones also had several small acting roles both during and after his playing career. He was a guest star on a handful of television shows including episodes of "Bewitched," ''The Brady Bunch" and "The Odd Couple" and appeared in the 1978 Warren Beatty film "Heaven Can Wait."

Most recently, Jones was the CEO of his own foundation, which he began in 1997. He also made several trips to visit troops on active duty in the Middle East.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp told The Associated Press on Monday that there were no plans to use the system at upcoming races "so we'll have ample time to review."

Fox indefinitely suspended use of the system after the nylon rope fell onto the track about a quarter of the way through Sunday's 600-mile race. Charlotte Motor Speedway said 10 people were injured when part of the rope landed in the grandstand; three were taken to hospitals. All were checked out and released soon after.

Several drivers, including then-leader Kyle Busch, reported damage to their cars from the rope.

Fox was expected to release more information about the breakdown later Monday. The network said the system was used successfully at the Daytona 500 and last week's Sprint All-Star race in Charlotte.

Fox's final NASCAR telecast this year comes Sunday at Dover International Speedway.

Tharp said NASCAR would let the network determine what went wrong.

"We'll sync up with them on what they have learned this week and go from there," he said.

The network explained how the drive rope moves the camera back and forth and failed near its turn one connection. The camera, it said in a statement, did not come down "because the guide ropes acted as designed."

The pictures such cameras provide can be extraordinary. But in this case, the failure brought confusion and chaos to the racers and the fans.

Coca-Cola 600 winner Kevin Harvick thought he was imagining things when he noticed the black rope on the track. He was among the lucky ones who escaped without damage. Busch said he heard a "thunk" when he ran over it and knew he'd have problems.

Busch used a cellphone to take a picture of the mangled metal around his front, right-side wheel so his team could figure out how to repair the damage.

Marcos Ambrose dragged a piece of the rope that got caught up in his car behind him on the track. Mark Martin also reported problems after driving over the rope.

NASCAR red-flagged the race for about 30 minutes and allowed teams back to their pits to get their cars back to race trim.

NASCAR first threw a caution flag before two red flags came out. It eventually allowed the cars to come into the pits, giving crews 15 minutes to work on their cars.

During the break, Busch's crew frantically worked to repair several problems to the right front wheel well. After completing repairs, the crew slapped high-fives as the car rolled back on the track.

Busch remained competitive and was running in the top five at the midpoint of the race. But his night ended in frustration when his engine blew up on lap 253. He said the engine problem was not related the rope damage. He thanked NASCAR for how it handled the unique stoppage.

"I commend NASCAR for taking the initiative and letting us repair our damaged cars from the issue we had," Busch said.

Busch said he never saw the nylon rope.

Ambrose wound up ninth behind Harvick, the second top-10 finish of the year for the Richard Petty Motorsports team.

Kasey Kahne led 156 laps, most of the night, and was second to Harvick. He was as bewildered as everyone else with the TV cable across the track.

"I've never seen anything like it," he said. "I came around turn four, saw it wrapped around Kyle's car, hit mine. I thought I was seeing things."

The camera hung in place over the large painted logo on the grass between the start-finish line and pit road.

Fox broadcaster Chris Myers apologized during the telecast several times to fans, drivers and race teams for the disruption. The network's statement offered "a sincere 'thank you' to the staff at CMS for attending to the injuries and keep us informed on this developing situation."

Busch wasn't sure anybody had seen that happen before and offered a solution: "Maybe now we can rid of that thing."

A corrected version of the story is below:

By RON BLUM

Associated Press

Various Artists, "Wagner at the Met: Legendary Performances from The Metropolitan Opera" (Sony Classical)

Yes, there really was a golden age, and this was it.

To mark the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner's birth on May 22, a 25-disc set taken from the archives of Saturday afternoon Metropolitan Opera broadcasts documents performances of nine of the composer's 10 mature works "Parsifal" was excluded. The recordings date from 1936-54 and while some of these had appeared previously on CD, these are the first authorized releases. The sound from the original lacquers and tapes has been improved and cleaned markedly, but don't expect the clarity, depth and width of the digital era, especially from the 1930s broadcasts. And the conductors of the day made cuts that would be unacceptable to the 21st century Met audience.

But, oh, the singing.

Hans Hotter's booming Dutchman from "Die Fliegende Hollaender" is paired with Astrid Varnay's excitable Senta under Fritz Reiner's baton from 1950. George Szell's "Tannhaeuser" from 1954 shows interesting tempi choices in the overture, which includes a sudden speedup in the Venusberg theme.

Ramon Vinay's clarion tenor is featured as Tannhaeuser, this time matched with Varnay's sultry Venus, Margaret Harshaw's hefty Elisabeth and a young Roberta Peters as the Shepherd.

For a 1943 "Lohengrin," a fresher-sounding Varnay's Elsa is together with Lauritz Melchior in the title role under Erich Leinsdorf's baton that emphasized flow over energy. Melchior's "In fernem land (In a far-off land)" is a model of diction, breath control, pacing, color and inflection.

Melchior is a central part of the Ring Cycle, as Siegmund in a 1940 "Die Walkuere" with Marjorie Lawrence's Sieglinde, Kirsten Flagstad's Bruennhilde and Julius Huehn's Wotan (under Leinsdorf), a 1937 "Siegfried" with Flagstad and Freidrich Schorr's Wanderer (under Bodanzsky) and a 1936 "Goetterdaemmerung" with Lawrence (again under Bodanzsky).

Melchior's seemingly effortless soft singing in "Winterstuerme (Wintry storms)" highlights how often the role is shouted these days by tenors lacking his technique, and Lawrence's "Du bist der Lenz (You are the spring)" builds tension and pace along with Sieglinde's ardor. Flagstad combines iciness and affection in her opening "Siegmund! Sieh' auf mich! (Siegmund! Look at me!)" from the Todesverkuendigung (Annunciation of death). While Huehn's "Leb' wohl (Farewell)" is low on emotion, Flagstad and Melchior sparkle in the closing duet from "Siegfried."

A 1938 "Tristan und Isolde" with Melchior, Flagstad and Bodanzsky reveals an incendiary love duet that lifts the opera to an even higher level, and Flagstad follows with an ecstatic, mournful Liebestod (lovedeath), although here the thin sound of the recording detracts.

Finally, there is a "Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg" from 1953. Reiner carefully blended Hans Hopf's lyrical Walther, Paul Schoeffler's thick-voiced Sachs and Victoria de los Angeles' sweet and innocent Eva.

While Sony had released 20 individual sets of Met broadcasts in recent years, including a 1968 "Walkuere" and 1972 "Meistersinger," the historic recordings have far more impact when packaged together here. A similar Verdi set is planned for the fall.

The longtime Calgary Flames captain waived a no-trade clause and was dealt to the Penguins in March hours after turning down a deal that would have sent him to Boston.

"I was very fortunate that both teams were interested and I was fortunate that Calgary gave me that chance," Iginla told the Penguins website.

"I know Boston is a great team and it was one of those situations that when I did it, I knew there was a big possibility that we'd be in this situation and here we are. I'm excited about the challenge."

The teams will open the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals in Pittsburgh on Saturday to determine who will play the Western Conference representative for the Stanley Cup.

The 2011 Stanley Cup champion Bruins entered the playoffs as the fourth seed but have stepped up their game considerably and boast the postseason's top scorer in David Krejci, who has 17 points in 12 games.

Pittsburgh, who last won a Stanley Cup in 2009, finished the regular season with the best record in the conference to earn top seeding and have Sidney Crosby showing solid form.

Iginla has fit in nicely with the Penguins and is fourth in team scoring with 12 points in 11 games through the opening two rounds of the playoffs while playing alongside reigning league most valuable player Evgeni Malkin and James Neal.

"Playing with 'G' and 'Nealer,' they have such a great chemistry," Iginla said.

"They really, really enjoy playing together. So you want to play with them and play hard, but not disrupt that and kind of just find different places to go and contribute to that.

"(Even) if that's going to the net and getting out of their way..."

Iginla, 35, had played his entire NHL career in Calgary since debuting in 1996, but with the Flames in a rebuilding mode he decided to seek a trade that would give him a shot at winning his first Stanley Cup.

The production from the future Hall of Famer, a three-time Olympian who assisted on Canada's game-winning goal in the gold medal game at the 2010 Vancouver Games, has not been lost on his current team mates.

"He's been great, a guy that's fun to play with and has a great shot and he can get it off all around him," said Neal.

"So, he's a tough guy to cover. He's been doing that really well and getting some rebound goals and helping our team win. So, obviously a huge addition and he's showing why we got him."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Larry Fine)