This is about as a good a performance of Aida as you'll ever hear albeit one sung in German by singers who had all managed to survive the horrors of Nazi Germany. Kupper is better known for her German roles, but in the event she's a first-rate Aida, singing with ease and poise. Listen to the way she ascends to the top C in "O patria mia", taking the entire phrase in one breath, or her horrified responses to her father in their ensuing scene. Her rather curdled vibrato won't please everyone, yet her musicianship and imagination win the day. Equally arresting is Klose's thrilling Amneris, every inch the entitled, spoiled princess brought down by her doomed love for a man who does not love her. Her voice with its striking darker quality is still in fine condition, the middle velvety and steady, the top strong and confident. The German translation at the end of the Judgement Scene does her no favors, but she still manages to be thrilling. Lorenz was past his vocal prime by 1952 though he has no difficulty with the actual notes (his many B-flats still have plenty of ring to them). He never had a lot of finesse as a singer and his phrasing can be sloppy; we've all heard worse. Gonzsar is a ferocious Amonasro who is properly intimidating - no wonder Aida acquiesces to his demands so quickly. Von Rohr is a suitably dour Ramfis, his diction especially clear. The young Christa Ludwig stands out as the high priestess in both Acts 1 and 3. Schröder leads a disciplined, exciting performance, preserved in excellent broadcast sound.