ROSSINI'S BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA IN GERMAN IS A REAL TREAT... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! A MUST!

Lively & fun, but hardly indispensable. The chief draw is Grist, who makes the delight she takes in her own pyrotechnical abilities an integral part of the character. (The roulades she tosses off in Un Voce Poco Fa are simultaneously breathtaking & amusing.) Tho I'm a big Wunderlich fan, and at the opera's lyrical moments he's true to form, this is still not the repertoire for him. Kunz's Bartolo is as described in the blurb above, as is Wachter (for a revelation of what Waechter was capable of, go to Opera Depot's great recording of his Giovanni, w' Price, Wunderlich, & Berry). Bohm & his band are surprisingly scrappy at first, but soon tighten up. The audience response adds to the fun, reminding one of pleasures lost in these pandemic days.

1966, the year of this recording in Wein was the year Fritz Wunderlich died at the age of 35, a tragic loss to the world of opera. Here he gives a joyous energetic performance of Almaviva, the voice golden and free. Eberhard Wachter is a warm virile Figaro and American soprano Reri Grist a delightful and agile Rosina. The sound is studio excellent

This is charming performance that used to be available on the Myto label and it's great to have it back. Yes, today's singers would sing the coloratura with more skill, but not with more charm. The entire show bubbles over with the fun the cast is having and the audience loves it.Grist is a very high soprano Rosina, sprinkling her music liberally with high D's, E's, and F's and adding extra cadenzas and flourishes at the slightest provocation. She sings "Contro un cor" in the lesson scene up a tone, landing on a top E at the end. She has charm to spare and never has to work at it.Wunderlich sings with that winning tone of his. No one would mistake him for Juan Diego Florez in the coloratura department, but he too displays more charm than his Peruvian successor. Wachter is no Rossini stylist, yet the audience eats up his efforts (he ranges over two octaves in his opening cavatina). Kunz is a hilarious Bartolo, Czerwenka a good Basilio though his voice just passes muster. Hilde Konetzni makes a lot out of Berta without going overboard; the audience rewards her with a huge ovation after her aria. Bohm keeps everyone together pretty neatly, a momentary moment of musical confusion at Almaviva's entrance aside. Barber doesn't go gracefully in German, but don't let that bother you. The sound is excellent broadcast mono. Barber lovers and fans of these singers must have this!

This is a fine performance of the Barber from Vienna. The problem I had was there was a lot of shouting in the final act. That is to be expected in a live performance to bring across the comedy. There was also much beautiful singing with Wunderlich and Grist. The sound is very good and I did enjoy this disc once I adjusted to the lively action.

Great fun. Wunderlich and Grist sound like they are having a ball. Even Böhm sounds like he might be enjoying things too.

I love opera in the wrong language, and this one is wonderful, a delightful, star-studded performance. The singers and the audience were obviously having a good time.

Wunderlich at his best!

There is much to enjoy here.

eine wunderbare Aufnahme mit hervorragenden Sängern.