What a beautiful distribution for this opera of Richard Strauss !!!! The best we could dream for it !!!!An amazing version with the best singers of the moment.Thanks a lot for that great pleasure

Great recording with excellent singers. Orchestra is very good. Sawallisch conducts sensitively.

What a cast, what a recording. With the exception of Varnay, these other singers are available in these roles but on other recordings. The collection of them here makes this special. Bjoner is one of the best Kaiserins. She may be less animalistic than a Rysanek but she sings with greater control and has fabulous high notes. Nilsson (in one of her earliest performances of the Dyer's Wife) is superb. While her heroic qualities are always well known, one hears here too her beautiful soft feminine moments of introspection and hurt. Varnay is wonderfully evil. King and Fisher-Dieskau both offer one of a kind performances o their roles. King owned this role in the time period and there was a very good reason for that. Fischer-Dieskau gives a very lovely lyrical reading of this most sympathetic part. Sawallisch is a great conductor.