I really only got this for Jon Vickers as Hermann. What a pity that the quality of the recording does not match the recording. Vickers only ever sang this role in english and very rarely. He sang it at the MET in 1965 and 1967 and here in 1976, just a few performances all together but his performance is incredible. This is another of his tortured heroes and he does not disappoint. The rest of the cast are excellent but this is a must for anyone interested in the Art of Jon Vickers.

This recording was derived from an in-house tape and has all the usual pitfalls of that type of source: recessed voices, bumps and thumps, chatty audience members, missing bits and pieces, etc.But I'm going to recommend you get it anyway, especially if you're a Vickers fan or love the opera. Heard on headphones the diction is clearer, the performance more intimate.Vickers is terrific as Herrman, singing with that idiosyncratic voice of his, fully embracing his character's mad obsessions. His laughter when he begins to lose it sounds genuinely insane. Other tenors have provided more ringing high notes, but few convey Hermann's disturbing grasp of reality as Vickers does. Forrester sings well, uttering a convincing death rattle as she dies. Kubiak sings beautifully as Lisa and Opthof handles Yeleztsky's big aria very well. Allan Monk contributes a first-rate Tomsky (his diction is excellent too.) Janice Taylor sings Pauline's song with rich, steady tone; she gives us some extra low notes as well. The gala entertainment scene has been cut completely so there's no Mozartian pastiche. I didn't miss it, but you might.Not a recording to learn this opera from, but those who love Pique Dame as I do will enjoy it, sonic flaws and all.

This s a frightful recording, distant, full of stage bangs and audience mutterings. Full of horrendous cuts, most choruses have been omitted and no divertissement. Some pretty ropy singing - when you can hear it through all the other noise. Vickers, of whom I'm a big fan, sounds completely off form the night this was recorded. He resorts to sprechgesang quite frequently and when singing is often flat. I wonder whether he was indisposed. Altogether a major disappointment.