There really isn't much to say other than the review title. Anyone familiar with Grob-Prandl will know that she was arguably the most unrecognized truly great singer of the third quarter of the 20th century. Her Elektra is searing, while her singing is almost disconcerting in its perfection. And Erika Schubert, a name with which I am only vaguely familiar, is almost as hair-raising a Klytemnestra as was Resnik on the Solti recording. Gertraud Hopf is a solid Chrysothemis, the men are good, and Klobucar is often a great opera conductor. He is here. The sound is excellent, but even if it were only serviceable, you must have this for Grob-Prandl.

The performance was very good. Grob Prandl was fantastic. The rest of the cast was supportive. Conducting was superb. Sound was fine.

If you haven't heard Grob-Prandl, you owe it to yourself to hear this performance. Her voice is absolutely steady from top to bottom, the high notes thrilling. Nor is she a slouch when it comes to interpreting the character of Elektra. The other singers may not be as well-known, but they're equally good. Erica Schubert was in Hans Swarowsky's Ring recording and she sings very well here with a rich, steady mezzo. Her laughs are scary (the offstage screams are great too, but they could be done by someone else). The other singers serve Strauss well as does Klobucar. The sound is very listenable. Highly recommended!

I purchased this recording because it is a reminiscence to my youth in Graz. I attendend many performances with Berislav Klobucar (at this time chief of opera) and also Gertrud Grob-Prandl (as guest from the Vianne State Opera). So I am very glad to have this Elektra in my list of recordings.

The sound is reasonable, Klobucar's conducting rather more than that, and the supporting cast more than acceptable, apart from a couple of the Maids, bless 'em, but towering over the performance is the magnificent Elektra of Gertrude Grob Prandl. There's an odd occasion where less might have been more, but she does try to fine down her huge, brilliant, tireless voice, and it's churlish to complain in the face of such implacable power. She holds her own with every other Elektra I have heard, but the jaw-dropping power and hatred she musters for the climax of the confrontation with Klytaemnestra is unrivalled in my experience. In the face of such elemental force it's possible to lose sight of Grob Prandl's considerable artistry in managing such a big voice, but she's very much more than simply loud, and should be known to every Strauss fan. I wonder if a Vienna performance with a stroner supporting cast will ever surface, or perhaps the second Karajan Salzburg Ring, where I believe Grob Prandl replaced an indisposed Regine Crespin Incidentally,one often reads that Grob Prandl was a generous and likeable colleague. Well, she certain had nothing to fear from them!

Gertrude Grob-Prandl's Elektra is solid, with all the high Bs and Cs. Her voice is huge, but with no wobble. Of course this recording can't compete with Solti/Nilsson in terms of sound quality, but it does give you a taste of what must have bee a thrilling live performance. The rest of the cast is also quite good, as is the overall sound, making this rank among the best live recordings of Elektra.

My god this should be in every vocal lovers collection. Grob-Prandl is sensational!!! This is a great performance all around, but she is one of the greatest Elektras I have ever heard. Rather unusual is the fact that it is an enormous voice, very gleaming throughout her whole range and she always sounds like a soprano rather than a mezzo. Opera depot is to be commended for releasing her performances. She is a real treasure!!!

This is a truly superb performance, from 1963, and it finds Gertrude Grob-Prandl in fine voice. Some authorities have written that Grob-Prandl had the largest and most powerful voice of the 20th century (rivaling Nilsson). The voice is always clean, even plangent, exactly placed, and exciting. Although this performance is from Graz, a provincial center, what we have is a performance that would make the Met or La Scala blush with envy today. My only complaint, and it is not about the performance, is that the recording I received seems to have a sudden cut-off at the very end of the first disc, and more audibly, a small gap at the beginning of the second disc. I have written to OperaDepot about this, as I think the problem CAN be fixed. Thus, far I have not heard back, but I hope they will reply. (9-29-2015)