GREAT I was there in Hamburg Still very vivid in my memory production and singing

Nessuno oggi canta così. Questo può bastare. Che l'edizione di Bonynge sia tagliata o altro non toglie nulla al fascino dell'esecuzione. Vivaddio non ci sono strumenti cosiddetti "originali" che sono una sciagura, sembrando sempre orchestre di chitarre. Sutherland meravigliosa, irreale, stratosferica e coloratissima, una vera regina. Tourangeau anche lei nella parte e lo stesso dicasi per la Lucia Popp, meno tedesca del solito. Bonynge grande accompagnatore, in queste opere bisogna saperlo fare e lui e' maestro anche nel clavicembalo di solito, e ottimo concertatore. A quei tempi Handel si faceva così e storcere il naso e' assolutamente ridicolo. E' meglio ascoltare la Sutherland con Bonynge o la Jarusski con gli odierni?

Still waiting for delivery. I think it has gone to Swansea, South Carolina rather than Swansea, UK

Quality of the sound very poor. Having seen this wonderful production with Sutherland in her prime in Hamburg in 1971 I had very high hopes. Hopes I readily admit that could not be met. But it did not come vaguely close I am afraid.

The quality of this recording, given that it is from 1969, is remarkably good and clear. The performances of the singers, especially the greatly underrated Mezzo - Huguette Tourangeau in the title role, and her long time colleague Joan Sutherland are brilliant, and also lovely to hear Lucia Popp and Tom Krause in supporting roles. This is an important document and a welcome addition to my 'Tourangeau' collection. I had a recording of the same performance from a different supplier, which I would have only rated 2 stars for the quality. The Opera Depot is an important 'find' for lovers of the older generation singers from the Golden Age of Opera, now largely forgotten. Thank you Opera Depot!

It is not easy to speak over this production. If one knows the opera, some arias are missed, and some completely new, some arias not complete and so on. Was it the choice of the conductor?All singers are good in sound, but the story of the opera stays in darkness.I think good for collectors, but not to compare with the beautiful recordingSills made for RCA 1967.

It’s marvellous to listen to that performance in spite of its far-from-perfection sound quality. Sutherland, Tourangeau and first of all the young Lucia Popp bring glorious singing. Bonynge brings some music not to be found in the score.Unfortunately the Ouverture is missing and there is a break in the wonderful Cornelia/Sesto duet at the end of Act I. Nevertheless I’m glad to have this performance.By the way: The complete cast is: Joan Sutherland (Cleopatra), Huguette Tourangeau (Cesare), Ursula Boese (Cornelia), Lucia Popp (Sesto), Cvetka Ahlin (Tolomeo), Tom Krause (Achilla), Franz Grundheber (Curio), Heinz Blankenburg (that’s the way his name has to be spelled) as Nireno