While Fricsay's direction has many strengths and almost no weaknesses, and while the cast has no weaknesses at all, it is principally the quality of the recording and the remastering that wins me over. The clarity and glow on the sound spectrum is outstanding for a recording of 1954 vintage. I admit that the voices are given undue prominence and the upper ends of the ladies' voices are given additional undue prominence, but the balance and engineering, whether manufactured or lopsided, give a wonderfully vivid aural image. A vivid aural image is necessary in an opera such as this, where lengthy arias and minimal action sometimes militate against success in the opera house itself.

Another admission, and one that worries me not at all, is that all the singers, apart from Rita Streich and Josef Greindl, have actors to provide their spoken dialogue. Attending to the "lion's share" of the tenor's music as Belmonte is the Swiss tenor Ernst Haefliger who, at this stage of his career, sings with sweet and supple voice. The Konstanze is Maria Stader, strong and reliable enough in technique and vocal resources for meeting the demands especially of her eight-minute aria "Marten aller Arten". Martin Vantin is a lively Pedrillo who makes the most of the little romanze "Im Mohrenland". Rita Streich, who regarded this as one of her best opera recordings, is the Blonde, and Josef Greindl, aided a little by sound engineering, displays the full range of the bass voice and not too much buffoonery as Osmin.

As a bonus, filling the second CD, is included a recording from earlier in 1954 of Mozart's "Exsultate, jubilate" sung with great assurance if not hectic joyfulness by Maria Stader.

Bluebeard dates from 1958, the cantata dates from 1951 (mono) although it was not released until 1994. The Kertesz is from 1965. For a modern performance in Hungarian there is Haitink - which unlike Kertesz includes the spoken prologue.