The opera’s finale is a stirring ensemble for double-chorus that can only be described as Beethoven’s Ninth on steroids. This performance, recorded just fifteen years after the war’s end, must have carried an emotional weight that was still raw for many. Joseph Metternich takes on the role of the Kommandant, a part that, despite the opera’s relatively short length, demands long and taxing singing. He handles it admirably. While Hildegard Hillebrecht’s tone has always struck me as a bit too limpid, she proves herself a capable Strauss soprano, navigating the role with skill.