Listen to a Sample:

Pros:

• Ernst Kozub is a sensation in the title role, bringing both vocal ease and a dramatic color that seems to embody all the best attributes of Italianate and Germanic vocal styles.
• Claire Watson has no issues matching Kozub in vocal heft all while delivering the ethereal grace she brought to all of her roles.
• At times Irene Dalis struggles at the extreme top (forgivable given that the role was written for a soprano) but she is nonetheless fearless in her approach to thrilling effect.
• Franz Crass's Filippo II may be one of the most beautifully sung portrayals I have ever heard.

Cons:

• None to mention.

In Mono

Note:
The final duet is missing from this performance. For the sake of continuity, we have substituted a version from Hamburg, 1968 featuring Ernst Kozub and Edith Lang.

OD 11947-2