Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Georg Solti, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra :: Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (Highlights) / Solti

Ultimate Queen of the Night

03/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great recording with superb casting throughout, like Pilar Lorengar, Hermann Prey and people like Ditrich Fischer-Dieskau or René Kollo in the smaller roles. Cristina Deutekom's Queen of the Night however, is the greatest treat on this recording. A dramatic coloratura with stunning staccati and effortless singing throughout the entire range. Poor Tamino doesn't have a chance but to do what this Queen orders. Solti is Solti, a must."

Magnificent...this recording is a masterpiece!

gellio | 06/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A very fine recording. Cristina Deutekom's Queen of the Night is truly fantastic...her coloratura is perfect. I cannot imagine anyone singing those notes and vocal trills with more effortless virtuosity than Deutekom. The rest of the cast deliver shining performances too, with Hermann Prey as a great Papageno(remember him from Bohm's Marriage of Figaro) and Stuart Burrows as Tamino(remember him from the legendary Beethoven 9th recording Solti did with the CSO in the 70's-now available as a Penguin Classics recording). The Vienna Philharmonic plays with enthusiasm, and the sound quality is excellent. A generous highlights disc, including more than 73 minutes of music. The overture is left out, perhaps on the assumption that most listeners have it on another CD, so that as much of the rest of the opera can be squeezed onto this disc as possible. Don't miss this recording. By the way, the CD booklet is wonderful too, it has photos of Solti and the singers, along with all the libretto(and translations) for the highlights on this disc. I have not had the pleasure of hearing Solti's second attempt at this opera, but his conducting here is truly legendary, and the cast is quite phenomenal. Highly recommended!"

Where is this COMPLETE Flute?

gellio | 12/21/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the great Magic Flute recordings, and while highlights are better than nothing, I do wish that the complete recording would be released on cd. Pilar Lorengar as Pamina, Hermann Prey as Papageno, and Stuart Burrows as Tamino are the highlights, although there isn't a weak link in the entire cast. Even the dialogue is well done here. Along the same lines is Solti's first Cosi fan Tutte recording, which is a fabulous ensemble performance. Lorengar is also on that recording (Fiordiligi) along with the lovely Teresa Berganza as Dorabella. Please, please, please, let us have these wonderful performances (complete) on cd!"