I have to thank whoever had the foresight and the courage to record this concert performance, risking getting thrown out of the theater in disgrace. Of course I would've preferred a good broadcast tape (we all would), but the Pirate Gods are fickle and unpredictable. In the event, the sound here isn't awful. The voices are recessed, but can certainly be heard. What's more annoying is the bumping and thumping from a fidgety tapist and some sinus clearing worn tape in the last ten minutes or so; even that doesn't last long.Nicolai Gedda made a fine studio recording of the opera with Victoria de los Ángeles, but never got to sing the title role at the Met; I don't know how much he got to perform it elsewhere. He sounds marvelous here. Rita Gorr also gives a great performance though some of the subtleties of her interpretation get a little lost because of the sound. Theodor Uppman is a fine Albert and Anne Elgar a truly lovely Sophie. The Baliff is excellent; I wish I knew who it was. Robert Lawrence conducts a very moving performance.I wish the source tape had been better, but there we are. Nevertheless, fans of the singers or the opera should hear this.

I was very disappointed in this performance. Sorry I bought it. My bad for not listening more closely to the sound snippet. Please, no more recordings like this.

sound 3 star at best performance 4 star thanks to Gorr who is great and still appeared when over 80 in Pique Dame as the Old Countess, rather like Matha Modl who sang the role superbly in hr 80th year at the Vianna Staatsopera to enormous acclain in her stage farewell