Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Die Zauberflöte

To this day, this Magic Flute from 1964 is considered one of the best ever recorded – and that despite (or perhaps because of?) Klemperer’s emphatically solemn-romantic take on this fantastic material about humanity and freedom, about the search for wisdom and the passing of life’s tests. It is not a pure Singspiel that Mozart has left behind here, but the seriousness is balanced by the voices of Gundula Janowitz (Pamina) or the three ladies (with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Christa Ludwig and Marga Höffgen a dream ensemble in their own right). In addition to the great Mozart tenor of his time, Nicolai Gedda, some of the most important interpreters of these roles can be heard in Lucia Popp as the Queen of the Night, Walter Berry as Papageno and Gottlob Frick.

“Not the least extraordinary thing about this wonderful blend of the sublime and the humane is that it draws from all musicians the best of which they are capable … This issue is specially commended to those who are after the mystery and elevation of The Magic Flute.” – Gramophone