Since my Swedish is less than fluent, I can't tell whether or not the announcer explains why the roles of the Officer, the Prima Donna, and the Tenor are cut out of the Prologue (Nilsson and Svanholm would've been so funny too!). I suspect it may be because the Prologue and Opera were recorded on different days and Nilssen and Svanholm (for whatever reason) weren't available. I'd be hard pressed to explain it otherwise - anyone else know? There are also some minor trims in the opera itself. At any rate, this is an enjoyable performance of what is left of the performing material. Christine Lindberg sings a lovely Composer, more soprano-like than others. Schymberg is a delightful Zerbinetta with big, full top notes (I wish she had held onto the second high E in her aria longer) though some of the trills are a little sketchy. Nilsson sings Ariadne's big moments with nobility and firm, even tone though she doesn't really stand out as a natural in the role. Svanholm is good and steady, if effortful (at least he doesn't wobble). The other singers are all more than competent. I'm not sure who the conductor is. Herbert Sandberg is listed, but Sixten Ehrling's name is mentioned several times by the announcers so...The sound is from a good broadcast source with some minor surface noise that is never intrusive. Nilsson or Schymberg fans should get this. Fans of the opera itself might be interested, but be aware of the aforementioned cuts.

Both sound, and performance, are terrific. Hearing Nilsson at the very beginning of her career was a treat. Could I suggest paper envelopes? I had to cut the sticky plastic sleeves to get the discs out!

Hjordis Schymberg is exceptional! Theatrically, vocally, musicaly...

It's difficult to imagine Birgit Nilsson being 'merely' an ensemble member but that is what she is in this performance from the embryonic stage of her career. Ariadne is a role she dropped from her repertory like a hot potato, probably due to its low tessitura. But if you focus on Nilsson, you will miss out on the delightful, un-soubrette-like Zerbinetta of Hjordis Schymberg or the charming Composer of Christine Lindberg. Elisabeth Soederstroem must have been practically in infancy when she sang Echo. You certainly wouldn't recognize her here. Set Svanholm's heavy diet of Wagner has not sapped the honey from his tone. He's a credible god of youth and his voice was especially congenial to Straussian melos. Herbert Sandberg's soft-edged direction is nonetheless sufficiently fleet (and cut) to fit all of the Opera on one CD, sparing us a side break during the music.

The only conceivable point of interest on this gentle, candle-lit antique is the Ariadne of Birgit Nilsson, whose voice and personality are scarcely recognizable. The low-lying passages Ariadne aficionados are likely to be waiting for ("Wo war ich?," "Totenreich") are audible but only just. In the heights, there are glorious glints of molten silver ("Hermes heissen sie ihn"), though all too often, they emanate from the penumbra of the microphone's useful range. David B. remarks below that in the Prologue he was unable to distinguish Nilsson's voice from that of the other ladies. That would be because—incredibly—the role of the Primadonna who will be Ariadne (along with that of the Tenor who will be Bacchus, and the Officer on the prowl for Zerbinetta) has been confined to her dressing room. Left to our imagination are such priceless diva zingers as "Schnell, lieber Freund, einen Lakai zu mir! Ich muss unbedingt sofort den Grafen sprechen!," “Pfui! Was gibt’s denn da für Erscheinungen!,” and the corker to top them all: “Abstand? Ha ha ha ha! Eine Welt, hoffe ich!” As much as the opera proper, the prologue is a gem of perfection. To the best of my knowledge, no other production has dropped so much as a note. It’s hard to believe that Nilsson, even at the threshold of her career, could have countenanced the suppression of what would have been a rare (if not unique) comic turn.

I enjoyed this performance very much. It appears to be recorded from a Swedish radio broadcast with introduction and announcements in Swedish. The excellent cast sings in Swedish as well. All the roles are well-taken and the ensemble is first-class. Schymberg meets the requirements for Zerbinetta with a lovely warm sound and plenty of personality. The Composer is also excellent in a lighter, soprano style. Svanholm provides heroic tone for the taxing tessitura of Bacchus. Nilsson, who had yet to find her clarion tone, is perfectly fine, yet blends into the background. Even though she has just s few lines in the Prologue, I was unable to distinguish her voice from the other ladies. Very interesting to hear her before she became La NILSSON. The sound quality is clear with no blasting or congestion. If I understood correctly, you can hear Sixten Ehrling performing the prominent piano part in the pit.

Excellent performance! Great customer service!

This is an interesting performance. The sound for 1949 radio is good. The real reason for this is Nilsson and Svanholm and they don't disappoint. The others are fine but not international stars. A nice alternate Ariadne.

Excellent recording. It is very interesting to hear young Nillsson, Swanholm is very powerful Bacchus. Orchestra under H. Sandberg is quite nice.

It is quite interesting to listen to young Birgit Nilsson and Set Svanholm. I Think it was an excellent performance.