Listen to a Sample:

Pros:

• I once asked a conductor friend who his favorite maestro was. Without hesitation, he answered Claudio Abbado. The response surprised me—not because I didn't hold Abbado in high esteem, but because I wouldn’t have immediately singled him out among history’s many legendary conductors. My friend’s reasoning was compelling: no other conductor mastered such a vast array of styles, from modern music to bel canto, Wagner, and everything in between. This recording of Oedipus Rex reinforces his assessment. Abbado infuses Stravinsky’s work with tremendous vitality, remaining true to the composer’s distinctive style while adding a touch of Italianate pathos.
• The title role of Oedipus is notoriously challenging for tenors to shine in vocally, but Lajos Kozma rises to the occasion, maintaining the lyricism of his voice even in the stratospheric reaches of the vocal writing.
• Tatiana Troyanos, as Jocasta, taps into her Greek heritage to bring a commanding, almost monumental presence to the role, making it one of the performances’s standout performances.
• The sound is excellent.

Cons:

• None to mention.

BONUS:
Martha Mödl sings Jocasta's aria from Oedipus Rex
Köln, 1951

In Mono

OD 12155-1