I'm going to guess that this recording was a one-off for everyone involved (i.e. they learned it for the broadcast). Lipp sang at Vienna and Bavarian State Operas for years though I don't know whether or not she sang Marie again. She is spirited, full of fun, and sings terrific high notes and coloratura - but most listeners familiar with this score will be a tad disappointed she doesn't interpolate more high notes. She certainly had them; she probably wasn't coached to include them since most of them are not in the score. Also, since the final chorus is sung in B-flat instead of the usual A-flat she would have had to sail out on a high F, a note she certainly had, but perhaps not one she wanted to sustain.Friedrich has come in for a lot of criticism here, mostly because he's not Pavarotti or Florez. He was a fine, intelligent singer out of his usual repertoire. Like Giuseppe Campora (in the Figlia del Reggimento with Anna Moffo), he probably learned the role at the last moment and then had to adapt the vocal line to his means. Donizetti would have understood.The other singers are just fine. The sound is excellent broadcast mono. Fans of Lipp will want this or listeners who enjoy hearing a familiar opera in borrowed robes. It's an inexpensive, enjoyable experience.

I think it is nice to have this in German, and given the tenor is not very good, it is just as well it is a one disk set. It does include a lot of good parts from the whole opera. Where Pavarotti hit 8 high Cs, this tenor seems to be half a scale lower (I am not musically inclined so that is a guess), but the 8 notes that are supposed to be high were pathetic. You would think any tenor worth his salt ought to be able to come a lot closer. But I do like the soprano and she is a big reason why I bought the set.

Fine recording. Lipp is great but Karl Friedrich was a bad choice for Tonio. His 'big' aria is sung in another version without any high C's. They could have asked a tenor like Waldemar Kmentt - he would be great as Tonio.

Would you imagine, that Karl Friedrich was the choice of the Vienna State Opera when they had the chance to get Jussi Björling?