Martha Moedl is the most charismatic Elizabeth I on disc, putting the likes of Joan Cross and Sylvia Fisher in the shade. She accomplishes this despite a voice that, by 1968, had become decidedly recalcitrant. Yet she invests every utterance with meaning and subtlety, and the voice is that of a sovereign. Friedrich Kotscha's liquid lyric tenor is just what the doctor ordered for the role of Essex and the other supporting soloists are excellent down to the smallest roles. The Münster forces, under, Gernot Schwickert, turn in an idiomatic reading, although they are still mastering the intricacies of Britten's writing, resulting in a few grisly tangles. The only serious regrets are the (as noted) missing snippets of music, which extend to roughly half of Act II, Scene 1 and the final moments of the opera. The recording ends with Moedl proclaiming "Ich lebe noch!", which is appropriate in a certain sense.