The 22 year old Anja Silja is impressive as Konstanze, especially considering she had become the Darling of the Bayreuth Festival singing some very different roles. She is not flawless. The runs in the big arias are sometimes smudged nor is her attempt at a trill remarkable (at least she suggests one). Nevertheless she keenly conveys Konstanze's defiance and commitment to Belmonte. Had she continued in the coloratura repertoire she probably would have tightened up and improved her technique, but she chose a different route. All of us can be thankful there are still souvenirs of her early performances available (she is also a good Queen of the Night on Opera Depot #11896).Renata Holm is, predictably, a delightful Blondchen and Willi Wolff a top notch Pedrillo. I heard James Harper as Mime some years after this performance. He sings very capably and makes a good, if not outstanding Belmonte. Georg Stern is a terrific Osmin with his beautiful, flexible bass and boisterous "evil" laugh. Von Matačić conducts a lively performance, cutting only "Ich baue ganz". The sound is very listenable and pitched correctly too.I would estimate the recording is missing the last 12 minutes or so. We get the first three minutes of Belmonte and Konstanze's final duet before we are cut off. Incidentally, allow the disc to keep playing after "Martern aller Arten" if you want to hear the dialogue that sets up Blondchen's "Welche Wonne".

Opera Depot has once again given us a hidden gem, the 1963 production of "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" from Oper Frankfurt, with Anja Silja, Renate Holm, and James Harper conducted by Lovro von Matačić. That distinguished conductor was to also lead Mme Silja in her 1964 recording of excerpts from "Fidelio" for Eurodisc--an extraordinary account never published on Compact Disc. The Mozart was staged by Bruno Hübner, and was televised.It is astonishing to hear Silja, past mistress of the complex scores of Schoenberg and Berg, in Mozart, and indeed her Konstanze is electrifying. The remainder of the cast is fine, and the entire performance is captivating.