Fritz Wunderlich

Karl Bohm’s name carries with it immense respect among musicians and connoisseurs in our most sophisticated markets, particularly for opera where his “gods” were Mozart, Wagner and Richard Strauss. Deutsche Grammophon proudly brings together for the first time his complete vocal recordings for the label – including the star-studded 1968 ‘Le nozze di Figaro’; the legendary ‘Zauberflöte’ from 1964 with Fritz Wunderlich and Roberta Peters; Bohm’s two recordings of the ‘Missa solemnis’, two Rosenkavaliers, three recordings of Ariadne auf Naxos, Wagner’s Hollander & Tristan … and one disc of new-to-CD recordings. Beautiful packaging and presentation.

Champagne pour le centième opus de la collection, avec la plus viennoise des Chauve-Souris, et un plateau de friandises invitant Wunderlich, Kunz, Streich, Gedda, Köth, Jurinac ou Schwarzkopf à la fête.

This is a very satisfying account of ‘Die Zauberflöte‘, principally on account of Böhm’s handling of the score. He inspires the Berlin Philharmonic to convey a Masonic ‘gravitas’ which is in keeping with the philosophy of Enlightenment Reason which lurks behind the pantomime elements of this unusual work. You will certainly find deliberate speeds here, which may not be to your taste if you like fleet, revisionist, original-instrument Mozart. Vocally it’s the women in this recording that have had a bad press: but Evelyn Lear has some lovely tones in her voice even if there are occasions when Pamina’s music presents her with challenges.

The Royal Opera is a company based in central London, resident at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Along with the English National Opera, it is one of the two principal opera companies in London. Founded in 1946 as the Covent Garden Opera Company, it was known by that title until 1968. It brought a long annual season and consistent management to a house that had previously hosted short seasons under a series of impresarios. Since its inception, it has shared the Royal Opera House with the dance company now known as The Royal Ballet.

Containing six discs and 111 tracks, Deutsche Grammophon's 111 Years of Deutsche Grammophon is a sprawling collection of single items drawn largely from its enormous 55 CD 111 Years of Deutsche Grammophon The Collector's Edition…

This recording of Mozart's first German opera The Abduction From The Seraglio is also on another box set/label and has been re-issued for Deutsche Grammophone, the world's greatest classical music and opera label. The Brit Sir Jon Elio Gardiner conducts at a brisk, lively pace (too fast for some folks) and the principal singers sing with excellent German diction and in the traditional Singspiel style but lack a je ne sais quai to really stand out. Tenor Stanford Olsen sings Belmonte, baritone Hans Peter Minetti as Pasha Selim, soprano Luba Orgonasova as Konstanze, soprano Cyndia Sieden as Blonde, Uwe Peper as Pedrillo and bass Cornelius Hauptmann as Osmin. If you're a fan of any of these singers, this recording is for you…