Opera CDs and MP3s of live performances

Rock

“I first heard Soulitis on her Decca recital in 1968, probably a year or twoafter the recording was made. The cover showed a vibrant young women. WhenI heard her, I thought, “My God! She already sounds famous, fat and forty.What is she doing singing this heavy music?”I wonder how many people advised her to take a different path.I was so happy to find live recording of her on this site. I wish she had mademore recordings in her mezzo days.Thanks, Andy.”

Fine Performance in Fine Sound!

“One wouldn't think a Meistersinger given in Rome would be memorable, but look at that cast! Sawallisch fielded one of the best Meistersinger casts ever assembled and his direction gives us a lovely, majestic performance that never drags (and Sawallisch makes no cuts).Adam's bass-baritone was never the most beautiful, but what he does with it causes one to stay with him through the long evening . One could take dictation from his diction and he is one of the few Sachs who sings the written trills Wagner scattered throughout his music. Kozub is a fine Walter, a few Act Three squeaks aside (not during his big Prize Song though). If only he had made that Siegfried for Solti... Janowitz is an exquisite Eva, Fassbaender a lively Magdalene. Schreier relaxes more under Sawallisch's direction than Karajan's and sings David very well. Crass is a luxury as Pogner. Leib surprises us by singing Beckmesser with nobility. He manages the high A in Act Three after a moment of indecision. Why Wagner included that note is anyone's guess. The supporting mastersingers are all up to the task, even the Italian ones. Chorus and orchestra perform very well for Sawallisch. The sound is excellent stereo. If Meistersinger is your thing, get this. You won't regret it!”

an excellent Ring!

“I've been enjoying this Ring for the second or third time now. The final act in Götterdämmerung just blows me away. The orchestra is a force to be reckoned with, and Keilberth's vision is persistent and unwavering. Windgassen's Siegfried is as good as any other, and Martha Mödl is a gem. She was no Nilsson, but who is? There is a brief pause after the final orchestral notes before the Bayreuth applause begins, almost as if the audience is overcome with the sheer elegance and beauty of Wagner's score. While I love and admire Solti's studio Ring, the live performances at Bayreuth offer genuine organic emotions that are sometimes lost in the sterility of studio recordings. Highly recommended!”

LIVE OPERA AMBIENCE

“As expected, Olivero's voice is responsive to character and the drama at hand. The rather dark timbre of her voice foreshados the cumulative tragedy. The rest of the cast is quite vocally and dramatically dedicated in this performance. The sound is just fine. There is lots of live stage business, but I like tha- especially now as attending live performances is such a hassle during pandemic.”

Bellini : I Capuleti ed I Montecchi

“I have already a mono tape recording of the 1966 Amsterdamperformance with Margherita Rinaldi as Giulietta. Unfortunatly,the recording is rather bad and I was very pleased with your offer because your recording is so much better technically and so is also the performance with young Pavarotti in ottima forma.is”

Gurre-Lieder - Janowitz, Ludwig, Sergi, Dickie; Krips. Wien, 1969

“The performance is excellent as far as must be imagined. However, it is sad that the 1969 sound resembles the Stokowski 78 rpm set more than the state of the art sound of 1969. One would never suspect the massive forces involved in this performance, and climaxes aredefinitely diminished by the engineering. Solo singers predominiate over the probably over200 insstrumentalists and chrous. Worth a listen, but only if you know this piece pretty well.”

David Fetz

“I have to agree with Beethovens cecisions as to what to cut to form Fidelio out of Leonore. The only thing that i would have left might be the extended version of Oh Welch Lust In Leonore. It would slow the Action a bit but I love that rich male chorus sound. That Coment out of the way.BUY THIS RECORDING WITHOUT DELAY! The singing in this performance is GODLIKE. This version has some of the most beautiful and DIFFICULT that Beethoven ever Wrote. You are listening along to stratispheric singing for the Soprano and Tenor thinking “When is he going to give them a rest?” and then they REPEAT IT ALL AGAIN! Dame Gweneth and James King are stellar never leting down for a moment the level of singing and the rest of the cast is equally as stellar. Theo Adam holds his own with the best and Gerd Nienstedt is excellent as well.This is the WAGNERIAN OPERA that Wagner always wanted to write but couldn’t. If you are a fan of GREAT SINGING buy this. It is a true JOY to the ears.”

Brian Morgan

“How wonderful that Opera Depot has released this historic recording, in such beautiful packaging! It is indeed historic since it captures Magda Olivero's first performance, in a 1957 Concert Version for RAI, of Floria Tosca, which was certainly one of her greatest roles, in a opera in which she continued to appear until 1979, during a Metropolitan Opera tour.Here, she is exquisitely musical and dramatically overwhelming, and in fact sings the role come scritto, to astonishing effect. For this reviewer (who saw her on that Met tour), she is the greatest of recorded Toscas.Mme Olivero is not, however, the only reason for this recording: Emidio Tieri conducts with authority, Eugenio Fernandi (who studied with Aureliano Pertile, and is known to collectors as the Calaf in Tullio Serafin's EMI recording of "Turandot," from three months earlier, with Maria Callas and Dame Elisabeth Schwarzkopf) sings a lyrical Mario Cavaradossi, and Scipio Colombo is one of the greatest of Baron Scarpias. The inimitable Piero Di Palma is the classic Spoletta.Scipio Colombo is not a familiar name today, and this was his only appearance opposite La Olivero, but he sings a tremendous villain. Best-known as a champion of new music, he was in the premieres of "Il prigioniero" and "Dialogues des Carmélites." He had recorded "Tosca" for Westminster, in 1951, but is here even more theatrical. Like the soprano, he sings the role, without resorting to shouting and speaking the notated pitches beloved by many a famous Scarpia. Colombo also appeared as Ford in the 1956 film of "Falstaff" also for RAI.To say the least, highly recommended.”

A bundle of fun and more besides!

“This was a special production which I saw and heard live several times. AS the product description implies, it stopped just short of high comedy and never lsot sight of Britten’s more subtle intentions and is full of human warmth as well. The cast was remarkable and formed a wonderful team, it was an unexpected treat to have Sena’s Lady Billows and very special to have it now, conserved for posterity - thankyou Opera Depot!”

great

“Great recording from the Vienna State Opera. Bernstein: It couldn't be better! And James King is THE Floresten as he was THE Siegmund. All the other contributors are great too.ONLY: I think that it's not Theo Adam who sings the pizzaro, but Walter Berry. The cast slip is wrong here.”

Acquisto opera lirica Otello (Verdi) - Domingo, Freni,Cappuccilli, Kleiber

“Eccellente. Mi congratulo per la celerità della spedizione. L'articolo è piacevolmente giunto prima di quanto preventivato. La qualità del prodotto è MAGNIFICA, ma questo già lo sapevo Grazie per il vostro impegno e per la qualità del vostro lavoro.Cordiali salutiVincenzo Centineo”

A wonderful, neglected opera

“This is a wonderful opera with no commercial recordings that I can find. (At least none at a reasonable price.) If you love great bel canto singing, you'll love this. This particular recording is a gem. It's available as a pseudo-commercial recording on several different labels, but the recording that's available here is essentially identical to all of them, except for the tracking. I've fallen in love with "Ah non Partir", which begins the second act. Unfortunately Scotto is hard to hear over the orchestra. I don't know whether the fault is in her singing or in the recording. (I assume the latter.) Nevertheless, I strongly recommend this recording. Buy it! You'll love it!”

Bergonzi at his best

“Carlo Bergonzi is in top form on all the pieces on this CD, which date from 1964 to 1976. With the exception of Boito's Mefistofele, where the prompter can be heard in places, the recordings are of acceptable technical quality, the microphones were set to give the listener the fullness of his voice. (In his early RCA recordings, to the annoyance of fans, the microphones were set in such a way that Bergonzi's voice seemed thin). A special bonus for the fans, because it is a rarity: Bergonzi as Werther. It is a CD that perfectly complements Bergonzi's numerous studio recordings (Cetra, RCA, Deutsche Gramophon, Decca, EMI, Philips).”

DRAMA

“Heinrich Porges, in his personal written records of the 1876 rehearsals for the first Ring performances at Bayreuth, comments that"When the Rhinedaughters sing individually, the character of a dramatic dialogue must be maintained". Felix Mottl comments, on the Wotan/Fricka scene of Walkure, that "This dialogue must on no account be dragged out, but must remain flowing all the time". I can't ever recall hearing or seeing a Walkure that adheres so closely to these instructions or is as dramatic as this one. Focus is almost entirely directed to the words and the interaction of the characters. That's not to say that the music gets short changed; it's gloriously played with complete conviction. It's one heck of a ride with stunning singing from everyone. Gwynneth Jones in particular provides some ravishing moments, especially in the final scene with her father and with the excellent Peter Hofmann as Siegmund in Act 2.”

Bill Russell

“Just thought you might like to know that Windgassen was not a heldentenor by his own definition. In an interview, the interviewer began by addressing him as heldentenor and Windgassen said “no, I am not a heldentenor. I am a dramatic tenor who can sing Wagner.” Too bad today’s tenors don’t take that advice.”

elenigold

“Konwitschny led an absolutely fine performance in what was most likely his final Ring. The Royal Opera House orchestra of those days was mediocre at best, but rose to the occasion and played with inspiration under this great conductor.This Ring boasted of 6 great singers — Hotter, Varnay, Windgassen, Vinay, Uhde and Frick all of whom were in top form; and some very good singers, Hoffgen, Shuard, Boese, Siebert, Veasey, Bohme, Holm, Klein and Kraus who offered strong support. Of the four operas Die Walkure and Gotterdammerung were the more compellingly performed with Das Rheingold and Siegfried slightly less exceptional.By the way, unlike Bayreuth, there were four full days between each performance and it worked to the benefit of Hotter, Varnay and Windgassen who were magnificent.”

A GREAT "PETER GRIMES"

“A starry cast leaded by the dedicatee of the main role, Peter Pears (Benjamin Britten's "muse"), arguably the best Peter Grimes, under Kubelik's perfect guidance... A must!”

Walter Hartman

“Gilda Cruz-Romo is a wonderful singer, very much neglected by any of the record companies so her live performances are a must. The voice is very beautiful and her pianos are great. Her performance is very feminine and moving. I also find her way with the words far more than just a fine singer. They are moving. Cossotto is a superb Azucena, Cossutta excellent Manrice (both lyrical and heroic with great beauty). Manuguerra has a really extraordinary tone and sings very well as well.”

Davyd Booth

“My god this should be in every vocal lovers collection. Grob-Prandl is sensational!!! This is a great performance all around, but she is one of the greatest Elektras I have ever heard. Rather unusual is the fact that it is an enormous voice, very gleaming throughout her whole range and she always sounds like a soprano rather than a mezzo. Opera depot is to be commended for releasing her performances. She is a real treasure!!!”

No fly-by-night "Barber"

“Where to start? For one thing, this is an ensemble effort, idiomatically performed by a cast that has the style down to their fingertips and plays with the expert timing of seasoned vaudevillians. For another, it probably hails from Naples' Arena Flegrea, which would account for the periodic airplane flyovers. Opera Depot's sound is so good you think they're right over your house. And the prompter is in such close proximity to the microphone he deserves star billing. Speaking of stars, Alfredo Kraus is on a plateau of his own, comparable to de Lucia and the greats of recorded history, treating us to a heavily embroidered "Ecco ridente" right out of the gate. Renata Scotto has her own refreshing ideas of comedy as Rosina, though one wishes she had substituted a virtuoso number for "Contro un cor," but that is a minor quibble. Aldo Protti's Figaro is surprisingly fluent in divisions, his skill in patter more than making up for the voice's intrinsic lack of allure. Although the audience "disputes" the Don Basilio, the two basses are adept in support of the stars. Vincenzo Bellezza keeps things moving along persuasively.”

Superb performance, decent sound

“This is a superb Parsifal - indeed, one of the best in my collection. Jochum was an ideal conductor for this opera and the cast ranges from solid to truly excellent. In the latter category is Sandor Konya. As with his various Lohengrin performances, he proves to be ideally cast as the Swan Knight's father. His voice had taken on some additional heft by 1971, and in the more dramatic passages, especially Amfortas, die wunde, he rises to the occasion most impressively. Crass is also excellent as Gurnemanz, and the remainder of the cast represents the tail end of Bayreuth's post-war Golden Years. The sound is decent by 1971 broadcast standards, thought short of the best from that period. Strangely, it changes from mono to stereo multiple times, but the cross-fades are seamless and, since the image in the stereo sections is rather narrow, the transitions are not distracting.”

one of the great Salomes

“This is my favorite opera, and I'm not a huge fan of Ursula Schröder-Feinen (I found her Elektra to be competently sung, but it left me cold in terms of dramatic interpretation). So you can believe me when I say that her performance here is one of the great Salomes on record along with Behrens, Caballe, Welitsch, and Stratas. She never sounds strained or pushed but soars over the orchestra. The top is open and powerful when necessary, but she also has moments of tenderness with high pianissimos. Dramatically she's one of few singers that captures both the youthful innocence and the seductive wickedness of the title character.Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is not as superlative. Leif Roar is a fine if somewhat tenorial Joachanaan, but Jaroslav Kachel is over parted and wobbles his way through the role of Herod.The sound is mostly very good to excellent. There's a little scratchiness like an old LP or tape hiss, but I soon got used to that. Toward the end, there is some distortion on the highest notes. But otherwise, the sonic experience is quite good with little to no crowd noise. If you are a fan of this opera, you will not be disappointed.”

PHILIPPE GUILLON

“Resnik dans le rôle de Marina est fantastique. Quelle immense chanteuse! Et sa voix très dramatique correspond parfaitement à ce rôle. Ecoutez la aussi dans sa "Walkyrie-Kempe-1961" (immense!) elle est certainement une des plus grandes Fricka ! (Je la place même devant Rita Gorr que j'adore pourtant)”

Jeopardy Clue: The definitive singing actress. Answer: Who is Pauline Tinsley?

“I only saw Pauline Tinsley once, as Kostelnicka in a 1979 Houston Grand Opera performance of Jenufa, and I am still obsessed with that performance, despite the intervening 40+ years. I was never so immediately transported into the drama of a opera by the combined vocal and acting talents of an opera performer as I was by Ms. Tinsley that night. So, I had high hopes for this recording of Elektra, given the effusively positive reviews by others here. I was not disappointed. Tinsley mesmerizes you with every phrase. The standard by which I judge an Elektra is Inge Borkh's masterful excerpt recording with Fritz Reiner and the CSO. Tinsley is every bit her equal, and I might add that the conducting is every bit as intense as Reiner's. The other roles are performed well, but this night belonged to Ms. Tinsley.”

Parsifal — Thomas, Resnik, Greindl; Cluytens

“I am writing not only as audience, but as Regina Resnik's son. Thank you, Opera Depot, for issuing my mother's one and only Kundry. The only other copy, as far as I know, is the reel-to-reel my mother donated to the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. In a previous review, your lauded her performance inspite of the high tessitura. Returning to this performance after perahps 50 years, I am struck by the magnificent colors she produced and the sductive rishness of her interpretation. And although Kundry is not a role she was made for as a mezzo-soprano, the high-lying outbursts at the end of the act are very exciting. And the sound is better than the original reel-to-reel. This is a really superlative performance with a great cast of the time. Jess Thomas, Josef Greindl and Gustav Neidlinger were great Wagenrian voices and male interpreters, and Andre Cluytens a leading Wagner conductor. A piece of history.So thank you again, Michael Philip Davis”

Glorious live performance

“The year of the Macberh and the great Norma and Armida. The voice is perfection. Fullblooded runs and an instrumental control of coloratura. A oure revelation. Other people also sang. But you wouldn't want to miss this recording of Callas as a revelatory force of nature.”

Tristan und Isolde

“Eine sehr gute Aufnahme mit der überragenden mit guten Sängern. Herausragend Berit Lindholm und Yvon Minton. Leider sind nur die ersten beiden Akte vorhanden. der 3. Akt fehlt. Schade, denn Nuotio gab in den beiden Akten einen guten Tristan. Ich kann die Aufnahme nur empfehlen.A very good recording with the outstanding with good singers. Outstanding Berit Lindholm and Yvon Minton. Unfortunately, only the first two acts are available. The third act is missing. Too bad, because Nuotio gave a good Tristan in both acts. I can only recommend the recording.”

Hah, hah...!

“Andy's comment 'Fiorenza Cossotto was made to sing Eboli' makes me smile...as if the mezzo had been unwillingly forced to take on the role! He means (of course) that Cossotto was BORN to sing Eboli - and how! Just listen as she -in her prime- sweeps all before her!”

Vincent Titone

“It is wonderful to hear these singers the way I remember hearing them in person! No studio recording captures the power of these voices that is presented on these disks!Thank you AndrewPS: could you send me your current email address?”

Bliss!

“Rysanek, Konya and Varnay are amazing. The entire recording is a blessing in every way. The conducting is certain, deliberate, and glorious. I'm utterly in love with Konya's voice. The drama is front and center here.”

Callas the Goddess

“Ghione is in control all the time. The Portuguese orchestra and chorus are good. Kraus is missing tenderness and passion and not knowing the plot his voice does not reveal the range of sentiments. Sereni`s Papa Germont performance is lacking class despite his beautiful voice. Callas provides one of her best performances. She is in fantastic vocal form and the attention to the dramatic content is superb. Her exigence with herself is evident every minute. I favor this performance over the Covent Garden one.”

An ELEKTRA in which vengeance wields beauty, courtesy of Brenda Roberts

“By any standard, performing Richard Strauss’s ELEKTRA is a formidable challenge for singers, conductors, and musicians; a challenge that defeats many artists.Not only did singing the daunting title rôle in ELEKTRA not defeat American dramatic soprano Brenda Roberts, but she actually sounds in this Hamburg performance, here available in fine sound, as though singing this music required no more effort than reciting lines from Hofmannsthal’s libretto. The dramatic immediacy of her performance of Elektra's opening monologue never distorts the firm core of her tone, which is secure to the top C. Frustration and anger explode in her scenes with Chrysothemis and Klytämnestra, sung with intelligence and musicality by Arlene Saunders and Martha Mödl. Greeting Tom Krause’s Orest, tenderness floods Roberts’s voice and demeanor. Roberts lends Elektra emotional intensity, youthfulness, and sensuality, whilst singing with astonishing assurance.If you do not know Horst Stein’s work, his leadership of this ELEKTRA may compel you to question the depth of your familiarity with the best Strauss conducting of the 20th Century. With a singer of Roberts’s capabilities in the name part, many conductors might be tempted to push a performance of ELEKTRA too hard, but Stein supports the singers with eloquence.ELEKTRA is a violent score, but there is much beauty waiting to be discovered by those who seek it. In this performance, Roberts and her colleagues make that beauty uncommonly accessible.”

A "Butterfly" Collector's "Butterfly"!

“This is a beautiful performance of the beloved opera, and what a cast! Though Anna Moffo had filmed the role for Italian television and made a successful studio recording under Leinsdorf, I was unprepared for her excellence in the part in a theatrical setting. Her voice's unique blend of warmth and brightness is all there in the service of Puccini's heroine. Without stinting the picturesque and "charming" aspects of the part, Moffo brings power and gleaming tone to Butterfly's most outspoken utterances (the sequence from "Ora a noi" through the end of the Act II is superb). She resorts to some parlando effects in order to project the text when the line descends below her comfort zone, but overall, an exquisite account of the role. Giuseppe Campora is a fine complement for Moffo, with his bright, forward voice, alert musicianship, and lyric impulse. Enzo Sordello and and Huguette Tourangeau are luxury casting as Sharpless and Suzuki, and you even get a young James Morris as Yamadori. Best of the supporting players, though, is Mariano Caruso, an expert and well-sung Goro. Anton Guadagno's tempi are brisk throughout, which perhaps aids his mostly lyric cast make their points, though in places a bit more luxuriating would be welcome. The only major drawback to this recording is the sound, which is somewhat recessed, with ample audience noise throughout. But the performance is dynamite!”

Solti

“Wow! Excerpts from a Prom performance. Shame there isn’t more of Kozub, Watson and Välkki. Forbes Robinson as Wotan delivers a moving Farewell to his daughter. I know he isn’t to everyone’s taste, but my word, Solti could be so exciting in this repertoire. The little we hear of act 1 shows that. Wow!”

nostalgie, quand tu nous tient !

“Cher Andy,Je viens, grâce à toi , de récupérer l'enregistrement une demi douzaine de soirées auxquelles j'ai assisté il y a près d'un demi-siècle.Dear Andy,Thanks to you, I just picked up the recording of half a dozen parties I attended, almost half a century ago.”

Richard

“This is a wonderful performance (I was there on the night!) It espouses not only Barstow, who had just entered her more luscious-sounding vocal period to compliment her dramatic skills, but also the fantastically-decadent and louche Herod of Emile Belcourt! Neil Howlett is a Jochanaan simply to be set in the same class as Hermann Uhde. Mark Elder conducts with deep understanding of the Strauss idiom.However, note that the Narraboth is NOT Alberto Remedios, but his younger brother Ramon, who sang more lyric roles with ENO for several years.”

Donald Honan

“It’s good to know that these priceless documents are being saved and disseminated!! I’d love to have things by Rudolph Gerlach-Rusnak from German Radio or wherever. I may decide that I cannot live without Kuchta, also!”

FIDELIO IN ITALIANO? SI!

“This is likely a RAI Roma broadcast, with actors (uncredited) doubling the singers in dialogue, which is kept to a sensible measure. Gui leads a briskly paced reading, placing the score firmly in the classical school. None of the melodrama is lost. If anything, the precision of singers and orchestra adds immediacy to the action. The cast is uniformly superb. Dow is lyric and brilliant with a gleaming top. Gasperoni rivals any other “Marcellina”, blending beautifully with Dow in ensemble. Berdini blends lyricism and heroic ring. Christoff is father and confessor, soulful and intimate. Taddei is a terrific blackguard of a villain. Monti personifies humility and charm. Calabrese is excellent. Sound very good.”

Memorable Don Carlos

“This is a real collector's item. On the one hand are famous performances by Domingo and Ghiaurov who are well represented on commercial recordings and equally good here, and on the other hand there are vivid performances by Christa Ludwig (Eboli) and Hans Hotter (Grand Inquisitor) who never recorded their roles. Add to this the fine Posa of Kostas Paskalis and at this early stage of her career a very well sung Elisabetta from Gwyneth Jones, and the result is an immensely thoughtful view of this brooding work . For me, Klobucar's sensitive conducting set the seal on this memorable performance .This being 1967, the sound is limited (but very acceptable) mono and the four-act version of the opera is used as was then the custom.”

A Giovanni for the ages

“One of the best - of many - performances of the opera that I have ever come across. Whilst individual performances or playing or conducting might (pace Wunderlich, Price and Berry) be more stylish, dramatic, accurate on other recording, as a complete all-round, ensemble experience this takes the laurel.”

Bel Canto Fan

“I tried to write a review earlier but it doesn't appear to have succeeded, so will try again.Very pleased to have found this version of an opera that appears to be under-recorded. Such a strong cast with these two Queens, Gencer and Verrett. Sound is not perfect, but still very good, and does not detract from the very good voices, Would highly recommend to anyone who likes Donizetti's operas.”

BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT!

“This is insanely fun! Like listening to your high school production of The Mikado…if your high school had world class singers. I don’t imagine a piano reduction would suit many composers, but it does Donizetti no particular harm. I’ve always liked Ramey, and he’s great here. Liked Galvany, too—this is better than the studio Sutherland/Ramey!In my opinion, of course.”

Excellent as far as it goes........

“I don't know because I have not been able to download Die Walküre bcause the site says I have downloaded it already five times. I HAVE NOT! In fact I have been unable to download it even once. I' d be glad to write a proper review, if someone cam resolve this problem!!! The file was a Flac zip”

OVERLY SERIOUS, BUT SUMPTUOUSLY SUNG

“This Salzburg Festival production gathers a strong cast with one of the period’s most respected conductors, and the result is a sharp, well-rehearsed performance. The recording quality is excellent, and the Weiner Philharmoniker provides luscious sound: silvery strings, perky horns, and lacy commentary by the woodwind instruments Mozart loved. Elisabeth Harwood is in especially fine form as the Countess, receiving the night’s strongest ovation for “Dove sono.” Tom Krause, the Count, is nearly as good, shifting easily from schemer to jealous husband to sly seducer. He likewise does a fine job in his big aria, solid in voice from top to bottom and agile in the final little bit of coloratura.Berry and Stratas bring experience to Figaro and Suzanna. One could wish for more buffo strength to Berry’s baritone, but he inhabits the role well. Stratas is well suited to her role, but one wishes that she could make her vocal intonation more distinct from that of the Countess. They blend well in “Sull’aria,” but when they take each others’ identities in the final act, the plot depends on being able to tell the two voices apart. (And each soprano’s ability to impersonate the other is itself a crucial element in the comedy.) The rest of the cast is fine, Teresa Berganza especially lovely as Cherubino. Jean Berbie makes duck soup of Marcellina; one wishes that Karajan had let the Rossini specialist sing the character’s usually omitted showcase aria “Il capro e la capretta.” Zoltan Kéléman also gets a lot of individual character into the bit part of Antonio. (He was Alberich in Karajan’s Ring Cycle.) My only cavil is that Karajan’s sense of control makes the big moments shine, but also zips over the many funny bits along the way. Normally laugh-out-loud moments breeze past as incidental music. One wishes Karajan had loosened his reins at such moments and let the experienced cast savor these hilarious moments. Nevertheless, there is much to enjoy in this performance.”

Wagner/Lohengrin/Salzburg 1976

“5 gold stars = equivalent to Excellent. Quality of the product, service and attention = Very very good... Perfect! I am totally satisfied. Please accept my warmest congratulations.Thank you so much!From Spain ; Ángel Crespo López.”

Much to recommend

“Fascinating document of original centenary ring cast. Thrilling performance by Gwyneth Jones and barely a weak link in the cast. Standouts include McIntyre's multifaceted Wotan, a rich voiced Waltraute from Yvonne Minton and a superlative Erda from Hanna Schwarz. Pleasant surprises for me were the Wälsungs - Hofmann much stronger than he became only a few years later, and Hannelore Bode much better than I'd been led to expect. Clear stereo sound with plenty of presence and voices further forward than in the 2979/80 commercial recording; there is a fair amount of tape hiss but I dont find this bothersome. The prompter, on the other hand, needs strangling. I find Boulez' conducting the least satisfactory element but really happy to have this Ring.”

Michael Shmith

“This performance of Siegfried all those years ago was my first experience of a Ring opera. Such luxury! In fact, over the succeeding nearly 40 years, I have never heard anything to better this. What’s more, the diction of all the singers was second-to-none. Even hearing the excerpt just now brought back that heady night at the London Coliseum.I have one quibble with your description of the estimable Gregory Dempsey, whom you refer to as embodying “everything that is great about a superb English tenor and a superb character tenor”. Indeed, Greg was a superb character tenor, whose other roles at the ENO were just as ingenious and musical; but English? Certainly not! Greg was – and, I am delighted to say, still is – thoroughly Australian. He was born in Melbourne, sang here in the 1950s and 60s before going to London, and returned to live here in the 1980s.This aside, bravo for finding this performance and issuing it to the world.Michael Shmith, Melbourne, Australia.”

A wonderful momento of the great Wunderlich

“1966, the year of this recording in Wein was the year Fritz Wunderlich died at the age of 35, a tragic loss to the world of opera. Here he gives a joyous energetic performance of Almaviva, the voice golden and free. Eberhard Wachter is a warm virile Figaro and American soprano Reri Grist a delightful and agile Rosina. The sound is studio excellent”