The raison d'etre for this release was probably Dernesch's Elisabeth. Yet I really enjoyed this performance because of Hopf's portrayal of the title role. Though nearly sixty, his voice actually sounds smoother and more of a piece than it did in his studio recording for EMI nearly thirteen years earlier. He amply conveys Tannhäuser's restless, defiant nature and then his desperate desire for forgiveness. Hopf's voice was never one of beauty, but he was always powerful and reliable. Here he is much more than that.Dernesch sings beautifully with her mezzo-tinted soprano. Maura Moreira, a Brazilian mezzo-soprano who sang a lot of the heavier Verdi and Wagner roles, sometimes sounds more like a soprano than Dernesch. Wallberg uses the Dresden version of the score so Venus' tessitura is higher than the later Paris reworking. Moreira has no trouble with any of it and sings most persuasively. Dutch baritone Camille Meghor has a vibrato that is a little fuzzy so his isn't the most mellifluous Wolfram you'll ever hear, but he knows what he's doing and makes a positive contribution to the cast. The young Matti Salminen is a memorable Landgraf. Wallberg leads a fluent, well-paced performance aided by a strong chorus with first tenors who help themselves to the sopranos' high Bs in the Act Two Entrance of the Guests. This is probably taken from a house tape, with the voices clear, but occasionally a little recessed. Recommended, especially to admirers of Hopf.