I bought this to hear James King and I wasn't disappointed. My take on Theo Adams is that he is a reliable, if uninteresting, singer - and this recording did not alter that assessment. I have been neutral in my assessment of Behrens - so, WOW! I need to reconsider. The Verdi was revelatory and the Beethoven was confident, secure and jump-up-and-yell-Bravo! exciting. Highly recommended.

Portions of this concert have been available in the past, but until now not the entire concert (King's Otello selections were on an Orfeo disc devoted to his artistry.) Those who haven't heard Behrens in anything but the hoch-dramatisch repertoire she favored for most of her career will be pleasantly surprised by how marvelous she is in the Verdi scenes she sings here (Desdemona.) Listen how evenly and beautifully she sings "Amen risponda" in the big duet with Otello or how ethereally she sings the pianissimo top A-flat at the end of the Ave Maria. These skills would be heard less frequently as her voice developed more and more holes in the timbre as she continued to sing roles that Nature did not intend for her to sing.King's vocal technique was so secure that I doubt he ever wobbled (he was still singing well into his 70s.) He sounds in fine form here, the tone steady and even with ringing top notes. The excellence of his Otello may surprise those who have only heard him in the German repertoire (are there any complete Otellos extant?) Adam's gravelly tone will never please some listeners, but his pellucid diction and supreme mastery of this music is very satisfying. Wallberg conducts with great authority, giving his singers their head, but never becoming a doormat. The sound of this generous concert is excellent stereo with no tape glitches I heard. Fans of these singers should definitely indulge in this disc!

All three of these artists have long been favorites in this repertoire, especially my teacher James King. A King amongst Heldentenors and kind human beings.

Behrens, King, and Adam all in top form here. We all know about these artists’ achievements in German rep. So you’ll be amazed by Behrens’s Desdemona in selections from Verdi’s Otello. Her voice is as ethereal as Renee or Kiri in this role.