Metternich may be a more lyric Macbeth than some, but his timbre is beautiful, his vocal line is impeccable, and he has the charisma to partner Modl. This is prime Modl, her singular timbre and technique encompassing all but the famous Db. Combined they are a fantastic couple, feeding off each other in conspiratorial and musical scale. Herrmann’s vocally linear Banquo is first rate. Hulgert pushes his attractive tenor unnecessarily. Keilberth leads an exceptionally prepared orchestra and chorus. The opera house ambiance is captured with voices placed firmly centerstage. Sound excellent. Performance notes: Act 1 Witches chorus “S’allontalarono!” traditionally cut. A short excerpt from the ballet replaces Witches intro to Act 3. German translation seems almost idiomatic.

martha moedl was a super singing actress-- a german language version of maria callas.

A mesmerizing performance with excellent sound for the period (1950). A must have for the Mödl fans (she is the embodiment of evil sought by Verdi) and Metternich is up to the task as well.

Whoever was charged with running the wind machine for this broadcast performance certainly a high old time of conjuring up the Scottish moors. Although cuts in the music reflect the lack of confidence in Verdi's early operas that was endemic at the time, the musical rendition itself is ripe with zeal for the score, with Joseph Keilberth (of all unlikely people) whipping up tremendous excitement. With her black, pulverizing timbre and customary intensity, Martha Model redefines Lady Macbeth in her malefic image. Were it not for difficulty with the role's top notes (like the climax of "La luce langue") she would reign supreme among Lady Macbeths. Josef Metternich clearly knows he is up against formidable competition and rises to the challenge with a noble Macbeth, helpless in the face of forces he believes to be more powerful than himself. As Verdian singing it's top-notch, as is Theo Herrmann's Banquo, with his deep-pile carpet of a voice. The Macduff is one of those metallic tenors for which German audiences have a high tolerance but one is having such a good time listening to this "Macbeth" that he can't spoil the experience. The recording sound is absolutely first-rate.

I love the opera and for me, the Lady makes or breaks it. I cannot but agree with John Stanton that Verdi would have been pleased with her - even without the high D at the end of the . Her duets with Metternich are the highlights of the recording. It also works really well in German - German is my third language and I have no problem following the words. I would have loved to have seen this performance live. Sound is very good - no distortion, fade-outs etc.

Two of the best Verdian baritones of the 50's Pavel Lisitisan and Josef Metternich, The former Russian and the latter German. Metternich here is the MacBeth, the voice marvellously incisive and masculine, and his MacBeth communicates an intensity expressed with intelligent control.Martha Modl matches him in every way. One feels Verdi would have been pleased with the whole proceedings. Modl seems just the voice that Verdi ordered for Lady MacBeth: dark, dramatic, not for a moment concerned with "beautiful singing". Her sleepwalking scene is startling, unique in it's intensity. Her scene with Metternich after the murder is courageous in expression; occasionally leaving the realms of purely singing for the kind of singing Verdi asked for, but I have never heard quite like this before.Theo Herrmann is a solid and dignified Banquo, and Alfred Hulgert a plangent MacDuff.The sound, particularly for 1950, is almost unbelievably good.In spite of the unidiomatic German language this could well be my favourite version.

Macbeth belongs to my favourite operas and though it was sung in German it is one of he best performances of this opera

Mödl is a very expressive singer