Inge Borkh had sung Elektra many times by the time this performance took place, yet there is no vocal decline. Her top notes are all triumphantly taken and there is no wobble. She tends to indulge in parlando effects; whether that's because of vocal issues or her own interpretation I can't say. She also uses a chilling laugh that increases the tension several times. Siw Ericsdotter sings Chrysothemis with lovely, unblemished tone and she too takes her high B's in stride. Mödl was past her vocal prime by 1965, but that works for this role. She portrays the tortured Klytemnestra with some sympathy. As far as I can tell she does her own offstage screams too (it certainly sounds like her).Symonette and Picchi are great as the weaker make characters and the supporting cast is unusually good, particularly the young man who plays the Young Servant; he sings the role rather than screaming it. Dorati conducts a rather slow-paced performance; the orchestra plays extremely well, especially considering they probably weren't all that familiar with this score. Be aware that Elektra's entire recognition monologue is missing from this performance. I don't know what happened. The sound is good, if not great.For fans of the singers.

"Ich seh´s an deinen Augen, an deinem Zittern..." - For me, one of the most exciting parts of this record. I had the honour to see Miss Mödl in her last role: Mother Bazouge in "Gervaise Macquart" (G.Klebe) in Düsseldorf!

This "Elektra" adds up to less than the sum of its parts. Blonde-voiced Inge Borkh is beyond reproach in the title role, one in which she vied for supremacy with Astrid Varnay and Birgit Nilsson. She'd been singing it for at least 15 years at this point but displays no wear or tear on her gorgeous instrument. A greater reliance to parlando is her only concession to Father Time. The X factor in the performance is the Chrysothemis of Siw Ericsdotter, who can't compete at Borkh's level, despite displaying an attractive soprano with some power. For a grotesque Klytaemnestra, few could outdo Martha Modl, who is in representative form here. Randolph Symonette is a haunted Orest and Mirto Picchi's Aegist is splendidly crusty,I am inclined to blame the lack of electricity upon conductor Antal Dorati, even though he has coached his Radio Italiana forces to a level of proficiency in the score one would hardly expect. He urges them on with many a visceral grunt but his slower tempi aspire to stasis. Also, the sound is no better than mediocre. There is also a big gap in the tape that consumes most of the Recognition Scene, a serious disqualified. However, from a performance standpoint, this is one of the better "Elektra" recordings in the Opera Depot catalogue, outclassed only by the Vienna-in-Montreal performance with the "Big Six," as Karl Bohm called them: Birgit Nilsson, Leonie Rysanek and Regina Resnik.