Since its original release, Jochum's performance has consistently been a prime recommendation for this much-recorded piece, listening to it again in the superbly remastered sound, one can easily hear why. He pays great attention to detail - particularly with regard to tempo and articulation - yet the performance as a whole has a tremendous cogent sweep and the choruses have terrifiс power. The more reflective sections are not neglected, however, and movements such as "Stetit Puella", with Janowitz sounding alluring and fey, have surely never been more sensitively handled. Stolze is ideal as the roasted swan and Fischer-Dieskau encompasses the very varied requirements of the baritone's music with ease. In spite of the presence of more than 30 rivals in the catalogue, this distinguished performance, authorized by the composer and now sounding better than ever, easily retains its place at the head of the queue.

This historic 1964 recording showcases conductor Karl Böhm unique take on Mozart's Die Zauberflöte as he leads Berlin Philharmonic and a cast of soloists featuring tenor Fritz Wunderlich, baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau and soprano Evelyn Lear.

The reissue of historical music masterpieces by ESOTERIC has attracted a lot of attention, both for its uncompromising commitment to recreating the original master sound, and for using SACD technology to improve sound quality. This Box Set of "4 Great Operas on Deutsche Grammophon & Decca" features the four works of this time are historical name boards which were produced in the heyday of analog from 1968 to 1977, and at the time of recording, each record company gathered the best conductor, orchestra, singer, the best sound, It was recorded with an in-depth session organized at the proud recording venue.