Post war German Macbeth

“A mesmerizing performance with excellent sound for the period (1950). A must have for the Mödl fans (she is the embodiment of evil sought by Verdi) and Metternich is up to the task as well.”

Theodore Shulman

“An excellent, uplifting performance of ENTFUHRUNG. The Divine Fritz is in particularly good voice, and sounds more present and in-the-role than in either of his other three recordings of this work (which are conducted by Zubin Mehta, Eugen Jochum, and H. Wallburg). The other singers are fine, and they perform well together in ensemble.”

Patrick McCabe

“This is excellent for a live recording. Bergonzi is still at his best here vocally, and goes to town on the feature arias. This is my first experience of Gulin and she had the voice for this role. Having researched her career, it seems severe ill health cut short her career. I have always found the timbre of the Milnes baritone unattractive but he does well here.Gorr also is adequate, but Joan Carlyle as Oscar is rediculous casting. She lacked the vocal agility for this trouser role. My all-time favourite here is Rere Grist.”

Exciting Performance in Good Sound!

“Sir Thomas Beecham shows time and again what a fine opera conductor he was and this Otello is no exception. The orchestra plays extremely well and the pacing is just about perfect. Ramon Vinay was very near the end of his days singing the eponymous hero. The voice is still solid and while he does make all the high notes they're not sung with the ease or ring he possessed a decade earlier. His interpretation is a little hammy, but rather that than bland mediocrity. He handles the death scene very well; I liked his howl of pain just before he dies.Giuseppe Taddei is a marvelous Iago with his excellent diction and powerful voice. Antonietta Stella sings Desdemona so beautifully you wish the part were even larger than it is. She easily soars over the ensemble in Act Three (done without the huge cut one often hears in performances of this time) and the Act Four Willow Sing and Ave Maria are truly memorable. The supporting cast is also excellent. This was taken from a radio broadcast, but the engineers hadn't figured out how to balance the voices with the orchestra and sometimes the singers sound a little recessed. Nevertheless, any fan of the opera or these singers or Beecham, for that matter, will enjoy this performance very much: it's that good.”

full cast list

“RICHARD STRAUSS(1864 – 1949)Der RosenkavalierKomödie für Musik von Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Opus 59Die Feldmarschallin, Fürstin Werdenberg ∙ Christa LudwigOctavian, ein junger Herr aus großem Haus ∙ Yvonne MintonDer Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau ∙ Hans SotinHerr von Faninal, ein reicher Neugeadelter ∙ Raymond WolanskySophie, seine Tochter ∙ Lucia PoppJungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin, die Duenna ∙ Janine BoulogneValzacchi, ein Intrigant ∙ Michel SénéchalAnnina, seine Begleiterin ∙ Jane BerbiéDer Haushofmeister bei der Feldmarschallin ∙ Michel PhilippeDer Haushofmeister bei Faninal ∙ Robert DuméEin Sänger ∙ Alain VanzoEin Notar ∙ Jean-Louis SoumagnasEin Wirt ∙ Jacques Loreau Ein Polizeikommissar ∙ Fernand DumontEine Modistin ∙ Janine Cadet Ein Tierhändler ∙ Mario AgnettiDrei adelige Waisen ∙ Marie-Thérèse Dietzer │ Annick Dutertre │ Gisèle OryLakaien der Marschallin ∙ Michel Marimpouy │ Jean Deguara │ Jean-Jacques Nadaud │ Paul ThoronEin Hausknecht ∙ Jean RalloChœurs de l’Opéra national de ParisChef des chœurs ∙ Jean Laforge Orchestre du Théâtre national de l’Opéra de ParisHORST STEINMise en scène ∙ Rudolf SteinböckPalais Garnier ∙ Paris ∙ le 31 janvier 1976”

As always, excellent and reliable Seller: definitely recommended for the highest artistic quality.

“This beautiful performance of M° Donizetti’s «Lucrezia Borgia» (a wonderful and elegant Opera) is distinguished for no less than four reasons: first of all, the artistic, musical and vocal concertation and orchestral conduction by M° Julius Rudel, very competent about the interpretative practices of Italian Early Nineteenth-Century Operas; then, naturally, the very intense and florid interpretation by Mme Sills, whose embellishments are precious and in style (less, the high notes at the end of the musical numbers); the very valuable rendering of the not easy role of Gennaro by M° Henry Price, each time incisive, pathetic and soft-tone; and the appropriate choice of a Bass-Baryton for the role of Duke Alfonso, the valent M° Adib Fazah. In particular, a very intelligent support is offered by M° Rudel to Mme Susanne Marsee, an high mezzo-soprano in the role of Maffio Orsini (written for the contralto Mme Marietta Brambilla). To “compensate” for the little cuts in the performance (cuts which are always a pity), at the end of the recording there are five bright cadeaux of the Belcanto Art of Mme Sills: three numbers from M° Donizetti’s «Lucia di Lammermoor», and two from M° Bellini’s «I Puritani», both recorded live in 1972 (San Francisco, Philadelphia). All very remarkable artistic achievements, definitely recommended also for the quality of the sound.”

Daniel Zara

“Not to dispute with the Operadepot Establishment, but Italian renderings of Wagner are not merely something to be hopefully gotten “past” or “over”. They provide, rather, encouraging openings to a better appreciation of W’s pseudo-quasi religious outings, Parsifal in particular. Escaping the gyves and gutturals of “The Master”‘s thunkily contrived Ur-Deutsch into the glides and glisses of Manrico, Alvaro, Edgardo, this purported Stage Consecrating Goat Coupling before which we are all expected to kneel in “stained glass attitudes” and never sniff, cough, or–gottenhimmel!!–applaud, turns out to be, when translated as Piave or Giacosa might have done, a remarkably lyrical bunch of business. The insufferable characters are no nearer to folks you’d want to have that beer with, but a great deal of the off-putting stodge has been let out of them. And, btw, the sound is remarkable for 1950: that great, voices-up-front, clarity of the old RAI.”

Absolute masterpiece

“All worthy of praise, each to a different extent, the well-prepared singers. However, I have a special mention for dear Marisa (M. Luisa Nave), my personal friend, unsurpassed above all in "O vagabonda stella d'oriente". Given the excellent stereo recording of shows in Newark, I also recommend taking LA GIOCONDA the following year from OperaDepot, again directed by the great maestro Silipigni. Hooray!”

An historic document

“Here's an idiomatic Otello, in which the only Italian is on the podium (Alberto Erede, tautly in charge). This was James King's only performance of Otello in Vienna and he makes a highly dignified Moor of Venice, redeeming some of Boito and Verdi's insufficiency of motivation. King is in terrific voice and if one has heard Helge Roswaenge's Otello, in King one will find a worthy heir to the role. As his ensign, Sandor Solyom-Nagy is not very Italianate of tone quality (he would be shown to greater advantage in the German repertory) but he still makes an effectively insinuating ensign, concealing his villainy behind a veil of bluff sincerity, delivering his most wounding darts as throwaways. Teresa Zylis-Gara is, as ever, an angelic Desdemona, ideal of voice and interpretation. Giuseppe Zampieri's ripe timbre is immediately recognizable as Cassio and Ewald Aichberger is an appropriately puling Roderigo. Some standard cuts are made.The full cast is as follows:Otello: James KingDesdemona; Teresa Zylis-GaraIago: Sandor Solyom-NagyCassio: Giuseppe ZampieriLodovico: Malcolm SmithRoderigo: Ewald AichbergerEmilia: Rohangiz YachmiMontano: Hans ChristianHerald: Georg Tichy”

If only it were easier to pronounce......

“If only for the fact that it is much harder to pronounce, Terence McNally could easily have written "The Naples Adriana Lecouvreur" rather than "The Lisbon Traviata." Both are landmark recordings to the gay male opera fanatic experience, but for this GMOF I give the nod to the "Adriana" recording as having a lasting impact. I was able to see Magda Olivero during the 1979 Metropolitan Opera tour in Dallas, Texas. I knew the voice well from the 1938 Turandot, a couple of compilation albums of individual aria recordings done for Cetra, and the Decca recordings of Fedora and Francesca da Rimini excerpts, but nothing could have prepared me for that visceral experience of Olivero live, on stage. That led me to look for "pirate' live recording of Olivero which, of course, led me to this performance. That the rest of the cast is as top notch as she in sheer vocal splendor and in communicating the drama through the voice is what elevates this recording from merely an Olivero fanatic must-have to perhaps one of the top five greatest live recordings of an opera, in my opinion. If you do not have this recording, you are missing out on a singular opera experience.”

richard inverne

“Point of information: Andy doesn't seem to have specified the conductor, who was ANTON GUADAGNO. I saw McCracken's Otello (with Gobbi) at Covent Garden as a young teenager in the mid-'60s...and was blown away!”

Ah, the memories!

“Hard to beat. Sadly, I had left Europe the year before, but not before hearing Vienna's fab quintet (Nilsson/Rysanek/Hotter/Frick/von Karajan) many times. Surely they were the true post-war golden age. Hotter (wobble and all) simply owns the role of Wotan. What command and total understanding! Nilsson is about to enter her prime and throws off the role's many challenges with sublime ease. ,At the time, she had only one real challenger...Astrid Varnay. Rysanek, as always, is a force of nature; it's a delight to hear her cut loose and let the rafters ring. Suthaus and Windgassen tossed the Wagner young'uns back and forth like ping pong balls. But waiting in the wings....Vickers.Frick was a rarity...a true honest-to-goodness basso. His big, dark voice suited his roles and, here, he commands your attention throughout Act 1, as he should do. You can only hear his death in Act 2, but to see it was spine-tingling. And now we come to Act 3: from Wotan's entrance to the end, we are treated to a Wagnerian master class with two of the greatest leaving an audio gift that, as I said at the beginning, is hard to beat.”

ANOTHER OUTSTANDING "LE NOZZE DI FIGARO"

“Another outstanding live recording of Mozart's operatic masterpiece "Le nozze di Figaro", featuring and starring some of the greatest, best and finest Mozartian artists... A must! Highly recommended!”

Mixed Feelings

“This is a sensational good performance! Caballé as Sieglinde is absolutely astonishing, one of the best ever! Nilsson is as wonderful as always, the perfect Brünnhilde. Thomas Stewarts great performing of his big act two monologue suffers from the sound, which makes his voice nearly unhearable even in the greatest dramatic outbursts ...Cassilly and the very young Salminen are very good, Patricia Paynes give us a strong portrait of Fricka.The Valkiries are not listed ...The orchestral playing is good and very well captured by the recording, always in the foreground, but makes the singers unfortunatly often less hearable, they can only be heard like they would sing behind a wall!This is a great pity!Nevertheless this live recording from Barcelona should not be missed in a true Wagner afficionado‘s collection.”

Surprised!!!

“I am really surprised by this recording. Unfortunately, Hans Beirer never made a guest appearance at the Stuttgart house. In fact, there was a Siegfried in Stuttgart in 1971 with Marion Lippert as Brünnhilde, but the title hero was Karl-Josef Hering (Conductor: Leopold Ludwig). I haven't seen the performance, but there is a live recording of the final duet. - However, the voice of Hans Beirer is unmistakably heard on the sample. It must therefore actually be a performance in which Marion Lippert and Hans Beirer sang. But the venue was definitely not Stuttgart.”

Magnificent

“I had yet the performance of the Scala in the seventies with the same two queens : Montserrat Caballé and Shirley Verret. Having this of 1967 and directed by Cillario !!!!! Thank you so much for that recording !!!!!They are divine.”

bayreuth 1951

“Du Ring de Karajan à la réouverture de Bayreuth en 1951, il nous manquait le 2° acte de la Walkure et le Götterdammerung. (Pour nous consoler, celui de Kna.) Nous accueillons donc avec joie la scène finale de Karajan avec Varnay. Mais qui nous rendra le 2° acte du merveilleux Sigurd Björling cette année là?”

Joseph Brand

“This is as fine a Tristan as is possible. Following it with a full orchestral score one is amazed, firstly, by the accuracy of all concerned. The drama in Shuard’s interpretation draws you in to the character immediately, the narration and curse quite hair raising, the Liebestod ineffably lovely and moving. Dowd sings his role magnificently rising to all the challenges. Encouraged by the thrilling conducting of Davis the passage in act two when the two lovers rush into each other’s arms is overwhelming – I don’t think I’ve ever heard better. Add to that near perfect renditions of Brangaene, Kurwenal, Marke and the shepherd and the playing of the BBCSO and very good recording quality this is unmissable.”

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”

A must-buy

“Massenet feels the subject as a Frenchman, with the powder and the minuets” said Puccini, before composing his version of the Manon Lescaut story. “I shall feel it as an Italian, with desperate passion.” With this recording, we get the best of both worlds: Massenet’s fabulously rich score delivered with desperate passion and superlative singing by Freni and Pavarotti. Well, most of it: the Cours-la-Reine scene is deleted, with Obéissons inserted into Act 4 at the Hôtel de Transylvanie: no complaints from me. In fact, the work seems to benefit from it! The singing from the two leads really is miraculous: Freni is luscious and the very young-sounding Pavarotti is on fire. The stand-out arias are show-stopping, and the recorded quality is very good - this is a must buy!”

The Ring by Knapp

“Solid all around. Today this cast would be an once in a lifetime event to witness. Hotter ‘s authority in the role is never in doubt. Varnay and Nilsson are both superb. What first hit me is the sound-the diction is so clear. Either the masters were exceptional and/or Andy has done wonders.”

Wagner at it´s best

“This is my 52 Ring Cycle, Brouwenstijn, Nilsson & Hotter vocaly it their Best, the recording transfer on the CD´s are exellent, comparible with the recordings in Bayreuth 1960-1962 by Kempe, and Leinsdorf Met 1961/62”

JÁNOS KÁDÁR

“In our days a baroque opera must (?) be performed with ancient instruments and conducted by a specialist. Though Nicola Rescigno leds here a traditional ensemble it is a great performance. They feel the soul of this music which is according to my opinion the most important. I bought this CD because it is a Vickers rarity. But not only a rarity: Vickers is simple the best Aeneas I have ever heard. Troyanos is a heartbreaking Dido. After Dame Janet Baker and Dame Joan Hammond she is the third on my list. Both Graziella Sciutti and Joan Caplan are excellent in their roles.”

Why write anything if you do not understand the work ANTHONY WILLIS

“Writing a review which really has no content is better left out. ANTHONY WILLIS says himself he does not like/understand Janacek so why write an review, just silly.There are few singer why performed with such intensity as Pauline Tinsley who nails this performance. Armstrongkeeps the tension going and Barstow sings a great vulnerable Jenufa. A recording as good, if not better, than any other commercially recorded version”

Excellent Bayreuth Meistersinger

“This is a justly famous Meistersinger available for several years on the Orfeo label in slightly (and I mean "slightly") better sound. Theo Adam, who was a last minute replacement for the unnerved Walter Berry, is an excellent Hans Sachs, at turns tender and comical, yet authoritative when required. Waldemar Kmentt was better known for his Mozart but makes a very good Walther von Stolzing. His voice may lack tonal beauty, but he sings with such ardor and lyricism that his prize song puts many others sung by tenors possessing more attractive instruments to shame. But perhaps the best thing about this wonderful performance is the conducting of Karl Bohm. One only has to listen to his opening prelude, played with such flexibility and beauty, to know that great things are in store. This performance belongs in every serious Wagner collection.”

Really, really good ...

“There´s not much to add to Richard´s detailed summery (and I own - as of now - 92 Salomes, abot 15 ... 20 of them actually get reruns from time to time. And 2 Fidelios, which get no reruns). Tynes was new for me as well, and she does her job in a really admirable way.Andersons prophet fulfills the necessity of credibility, which is the most important feature in delivering this role. I don´t expect (or believe in) most beautiful singing from a guy, who lived off sand and the occational scorpio- or spider-bit. He´s convincing ... and so is the complete performance under the supervision of Mr. Shippers. Will get a resumption, with headphones, this summer, in a deckchair at a beach.”

“Exactly as I remember it all those years ago (and exactly on my no longer playable reel to reel recording of the performance, less the car ignition noise at one stage from outside)David \Ward was alweays wonderful in this sort of part and in those wonderful days when there ws a Covent Garden company they were very good all round. KenMacdionald sadly missed - died gar too earlyJoseph Ward perfect castingand Kempe .....!Those were the days”

A triumphant Welsh National Opera 'Die Walküre' under Sir Reginald Goodall (continued)

“The great Anne Evans was singing her first Brünnhilde. Kathryn Harries, who had only started singing operatic roles as a Flower Maiden in the WNO Parsifal the year before, was a strikingly youthful, good-looking, and well-sung Sieglinde. Although Phillip Joll was younger, higher-pitched, and less god-like in appearance and voice than Norman Bailey, he nevertheless offered a very coherent, convincing and youthful characterization and a very well sung performance, which fully came into its own in the final scene with Anne Evans. Warren Ellsworth (aged 34) was a show-stealing Siegmund (he generated much more presence and Vickers-like intensity in this role than did much-loved Alberto Remedios, who unfailingly sang this role very beautifully, but was always much more distinctive, engaging and characterful as Siegfried). His death from lymphatic cancer in 1993, aged only 42, was a very tragic loss. The singers, the WNO orchestra and Andrew Porter’s excellent English translation come across amazingly clearly and vividly. Aside from one brief gap/jump towards the end of Fricka’s big scene with Wotan in Act 2, the excellent stereo sound is almost completely fault-free. In a review of the first night, Rodney Milnes wrote: ‘every aspiring Wagner conductor across Europe should be corralled into Cardiff’s New Theatre to see how it should be done!’”

Peter Tiedke

“The 1976 Ring was my first Ring-recording i made, since i started with classical Music in late 1975, this time i was 25. The Rheingold i have never heared better than here, and i know many Rings. If i remember right, i recorded all BOULEZ-years on tapes, but 1976 was for sure the best Rheingold. The sound of your recording ist good and better (4-5 from 5 stars). I's hard to say who was best... but here i started to like most Heinz Zednick, he became my alltime favorits. I also love the Wanderer--Mime scene (Siegfried) and again superb Heinz Zednik with Siegfried.”

James Mertins

“Solti again takes us by surprise.Solti enjoying himself. This is just amazing.Carlyle and Evans along with Langdon are the stars of this. The cast is very fine but those 3 stand out.”

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!”

David Fetz

“This was a wonderful performance. All of the cast was superb. I still have favorites in other recordings but this one is excellent. The flower ladies were the best I have heard. Probably due to the leadership of Caballe.”

Never better!

“This is truly an exceptional performance of Il Trovatore. All principals are firing on all cylinders singing signature roles of their respective careers. I have been listening to this opera for over 50 years yet this recently acquired addition to my library has rekindled all the excitement for this piece that one has upon first discovering it. If you are a "Trovatore" fan you must hear Bergonzi, Price, Cossotto and Cappuccilli at their best by savoring the fire in this performance. Bravi tutti!”

Store Owner

“This complete Act II of TRISTAN from Geneve, 1953, boasts not only the familiar and very accomplished vocalism of Wolfgang Windgassen, Gottlob Frick, and Margarate Klose, but a simply earth-shattering performance by Gertrude Grob-Prandl. Alas! Why, O, why did not the record companies record her more than they did? Here she is in voice that in many ways outdoes Nilsson, or for that matter, anyone since. The voice is huge, but always exactly placed, radiant and secure, slightly plangent (even a bit wistful), but truly glorious. Shades of meaning and characterization are wonderfully conveyed. I can imagine that everyone at that performance in Geneve could hear and relish every detail!Of course, she is partnered by Windgassen, exemplary as Tristan, and in this case, a worthy successor of Melchior. And, then, we have the added casting de luxe of Frick as Konig Marke, and Klose as a superb Brangane. After listening to this Act II, it must enter the elite group of TRISTANS and TRISTAN excerpts that I treasure (including the famous MET performances of 1935-1941 with Flagstad, and the Beecham, Reiner, Knappertsbusch, Solti, Bohm, von Karajan issues).And I must earnestly hope, like another reviewer, that the rest of that 1953 performance shows up eventually.And, lastly, as Grob-Prandl sang in Vienna and Berlin (mostly), is there any chance that additional broadcasts of performances from those venues might be available? Also, she performed, I think, in San Francisco in the 1950s...I wonder if anything from there has survived?It is remarkable that such a superb hochdramatische sopran is so widely unknown by the opera public. Let us hope that this recording, and others, can remedy that.”

Edmund Barham

“I was priviledged to hear some of Rita Hunters prformances in her prime as a singing student and appered on stage with her when she sang Gotterdamerung,I was then in the extra chorus at E.N.O.i HEARD HER ALSO ON THE NIGHT SHE MADE A HUGE BREAKTHROUGH IN HER CAREER THAT of the first night of The Walkyrie as it was then known in English in the famous performance with Alberto Remedios,Norman Baileyetc conducted by Reginald Goodall,I heard her Trovatore,Santuzza,she was a vocally phenomenal let down a lot by her very corpulant size,a vey nice person also”

Exciting italian Carmen!

“Thank you very much for this new and rare performance with the great Corelli, and Verrett! She sings her role in french, and the rest of the cast sing in italian. Decent in-house sound.”

Louis K Newton

“This is the Scala production created around Maria Callas. Simionato if anything is better here than with Callas; she seems more settled into the character. Clabassi has been promoted from Rochefort to King and is very welcome in the role, replacing the unfortunately wobbly Rossi-Lemeni. I also like this Smeton better than a more matronly and not completely steady Carturan. As for Gencer, her only fault in the role is that she followed Callas in one of her greatest triumphs. (I don't know of a single soprano who doesn't suffer by comparison with Callas in the same repertoire.) Gencer, at least from the two video examples I've seen, was a more convincing singer than actor. While Callas *was* Anna in every way, Gencer sings the part wonderfully throughout. Once I turn off the memory of Callas in the role and focus on the performance at hand, I have no complaints at all and I remain a devoted Gencer fan. Excellent all round.”

Matey

“This is indeed a fantastic Lucia. I will try to brief with this review, as your time is better spent buying and listening to this amazing performance. Joan Sutherland is out-of-this-world here, at least as amazing as in her first Lucia, and the sound quality is great. This recording manages to capture the size of her voice in a way that hundreds of others have failed, and when listening to this with headphones, one can truly begin to understand how large the voice was even this early in her career. The E-flat at the end of \""Spargi d'amaro Pianto\"" is one of the longest she ever did live, long enough, in fact, to rival her studio recording in 1961. Truly a must-have.”

Wonderful

“This is a superb performance in excellent sound. I tend to agree that Windgassen sounds rather narrow of tone next to Nilsson but he's honest and often moving. Kerstin Meyer, of whom I had no clear impression before, sings most beautifully as Brangäne and Nilsson is extraordinary. We think of her as shining steel but as her auto-biography proudly states, Wieland Wagner thought that she was "the loving Isolde" and that is what we have here: yes, there is fury in Act One but also an underlying tenderness and pain and the final note of the Liebestod (approached without a breath) has to be heard to be believe. Compulsive conducting from Böhm that sweeps you through an epic journey. Wonderful.”

Wonderful sampling

“This CD shows the full range of Janowitz's incredible voice. Not only was her voice beautiful but it was so very expressive without stooping to histrionics or melodrama. The CD shows that she was not only able to grace a full spectrum of periods and styles with that perfect voice but could also surpass many Verdi, Puccini and Wagner sopranos in giving exquisite performances. Her performances of Richard Strauss and Mozart cannot be beaten. My only criticism of this CD is that it does not have any of her performances of Baroque music. Her purity of voice suited Baroque music perfectly and stands out even though the research into Baroque performance style had only just begun when her recordings were made.”

Strauss: Elektra - Nilsson, Bjoner, Varnay, Esser, Crass; Sawallisch. München, 1972

“Die Wiedergabequalität ist sehr schlecht und nur wenn man unbedingt nostalgische Gefühle hegt sollte man die Aufnahme kaufen. Das Sängerensemble ist ein Traum mit den besten Solisten dieser Zeit (1972). Nilsson und Varnay gibt es mit besserer Qualität zu hören.----------------------------------------------------------------The reproduction quality is very poor and you should only buy the recording if you have nostalgic feelings. The ensemble of singers is a dream with the best soloists of the time (1972). Nilsson and Varnay can be heard in better quality.”

Bayreuth à Marseille, un Tannhäuser de rêve !

“C'est bien sur l'inespérée rencontre d'un Max Lorenz en fin de carrière, mais encore fabuleux, et d'une radiante Leonie Rysanek à l'aube de la sienne, qui fait la valeur inestimable de cet enregistrement. Et en plus le grand Ludwig Weber dans le Landgraf ! G.von Milinkovic (Venus) et Hans Braun (Wolfram) ne déparent pas ce tableau. Belle direction d'Otto Ackermann, seuls les chœurs sont un peu limite. Le son est très correct.”

Excellent Chenier

“The performance was, of course, magnificent. It’s fun to hear one from The Old Days, when they used to take bows after the big arias and, the claques keeping the applause going on and on. All ‘round, sound is perfect considering the time period. Being a true fan of the greatest performers of “ago,” I’m truly blessed to have found Opera Depot.”

Considering this was a touring

“Considering this was a touring production, it was excellent. Meant to present Neblett's voluptuous voice and form it did so on both counts. Her's was the best sung Thais I've ever heard. I heard it in Baltimore. I was told her form was best in New Orleans where the production originated. It would be! Patrick was excellent as was the rest of the cast”

The indispensable live “Clemenza”

“This recording represents the third consecutive revival of what everyone knew was a classic cast. The production by Besch and Stoddart had been new in 1974; Janet Baker, Yvonne Minton, Anne Howells, Teresa Cahill, Robert Lloyd sang it all three seasons. Colin Davis conducted the 1974 original, very powerfully; it remains a puzzle that his 1976 studio recording with almost all this cast (Lucia Popp replacing Cahill) was tepid. Will his 1974 semi-staged Proms performance with this cast ever surface? It would include Eric Tappy, a very fine Tito. John Pritchard, conducting the 1975 and 1976 reveals, was a perfect Mozartian, and he kept the force that Davis had unleashed, with yet more orchestral lucidity. Minton, always superb, grew each year in intensity in the role of Sesto, and had just been especially acclaimed when this production visited La Scala with this cast. Howells and Cahill were never better; I feel the fortune now of having them as regular house artists then. But the greatest fascination was Janet Baker, markedly different in each year of this revival. (Her 1974 one was freest but also most restrained; her 1975 one was vocally troubles but also flooded with new colours.) She has neither the top D flat (omitted) nor the chest depths (sketched) for Vitellia, and yet what she provides is more imaginative than any who have those virtues. In the Act One trio, the contrast of the inward pianissimo triplets “O dei!”and the fortissimo top note in the next phrase: searing.”

Historical

“Andrew is absolutely right although I don't enterely agree with him.This is indeed one of the greatest Tristan in the discography. It can sit without shame next to that conducted by Beecham 1937, Kleiber (Carlos) Bayreuth 1974, Keiber (Erich- already) Buenos Aires 1938.Tristan is definitely a Kleiber ‘s family « business» . Erich Kleiber is the big winner of this recording. He confirms that he was the greatest German conductor of the 20th century. Far ahead of Furwangler…Hans Hotter and Ludwig Weber are transcended, invested and much better than in the Karajan’s performance (Bayreuth 1951).Set Svanholm is a very great Tristan and rises to the Kirsten Flagstad ‘s level without problem. His vocal and dramatic investment is total. One of the great testimonies of this artist.Regarding Kirsten Flagstad, to hear what this artist was, just listen to the Tristan conducted by Beecham in London in 1937, with an exceptional sound that does justice to all aspects of this immense artist: immensity, color, flexibility, capacity for projection, power of the voice ; mastery of technique placed at the service of total dramatic investment.In 1947, Kirsten Flagstad was not at her prime, but in the middle of her career. His voice no longer has as many of the qualities mentioned above. But it doesn't have the heaviness of Furwangler's recording. Kirsten Flagstad's voice and artistry are simply coming of age. Always great art!The sound is much worse than that Beecham 10 years before ...”

something to add to my previous comment

“I posted a comment while I was still on vacation, and since then I have the recording and have listened to it. It's interesting to compare the recording to my memory (albeit from almost sixty years ago) of the performance. At the performance Souzay and the young Horne were definitely received by the audience as "stars", and Valletti was an also-ran, despite the elegance of his performance. The large hall (the pre-remodeled Northrup Auditorium at the University of Minnesota, where the orchestra played before its present hall was built) was not kind to him and his voice simply didn't have the presence in the room that Horne's and Souzay's did. Souzay also had a more flamboyant performance personality going for him, quite suitable to the Devil, and was clearly having a lot of fun--the Devil always has so much fun! It's interesting that on the recording Valetti (for me) comes off far the best, and Souzay's personality (and even some of his voice) doesn't come across, at least compared to my memory of the performance. To whomever did this recording, many thanks (and to Opera Depot). I was young and full of eagerness, and to get to sing in the chorus on stage with these soloists and orchestra was wonderfully exciting, and a strong experience in my then very young musical life. I had no idea the performance existed in a recording, and it's a real treasure for me to have.”