Every country in Europe has its own traditions when it comes to performing the classic operas. Here we hear how a German house circa 1959 played Rigoletto. Conductor Fritz Zaun makes a few of the traditional cuts, but opens up others that would only rarely have been heard in an Italian house. "O veglia, o donna" in Act One is sung without the huge cut heard in Italy and the United States and we are given a verse of the Duke's cabaletta "Possente amor" in Act Two. Most traditional high notes are in place, but others are left out. Rothenberger sings a great D-flat at the end of "Addio, addio", but does not sing an E-flat at the end of the "Si, vendetta (it may not have been in her working range.) Hopf avoids the usual B-flat at the end of "Parmi veder", but then interpolates a cadenza that takes him up to the same note.Rothenberger has a more substantial lyric soprano than we normally hear as Gilda; she is lovely throughout. Hopf is rather wooly sometimes, but offers great high notes. He tries to get Zaun to go faster in the duet with Gilda, but fails, making for a few uncomfortable moments. Imdahl sings with more legato here than elsewhere. He captures the jester's bitterness and rage with a less than beautiful voice. The other singers are all excellent (I wish we had a complete cast list.) The sound, while not great, is listenable. A pity the last few minutes are missing (SPOILER ALERT: Gilda dies), but I enjoyed this all the same.

Eine solide Aufnahme mit Hans Hopf als Herzog in Bestform. Imdahl gibt einen überzeugenden Rigoletto mit Rothenberger als Gilda. Leider ist die Tonqualität nicht sehr gut, vor allem wurde bei der Remasterung die Höhen zu sehr hervorgehoben. Trotzdem ein beeindruckendes Tondokument.

If you accept the german language the performance is quite good. Rothenberger is very young and charming and Imdahl is a very good singer,rare on CDs,a solid baryton voice, better perhaps in Wagner than Verdi but when he sings he knows what he is singing!Hopf is too german and heavy for the duke.

Hans Hopf zwar stimmgewaltig und temperamentvoll, jedoch fehlt im für die Rolle des Herzog eine gewisse leichtigkeit im Ton. Ansonsten befriedigende Leistungen der anderen Sänger und Dirigent.