Mozart: Die Zauberflöte

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Composer), Herbert von Karajan (Conductor), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra (Performer, Orchestra), Agnes Baltsa (Performer), Anna Tomowa-Sintow (Performer), Christian Schulz (Performer), Edith Mathis (Performer), Francisco Araiza (Performer), Gottfried Hornik (Performer), Hanna Schwarz (Performer), Heiner Hopfner (Performer), Heinz Kruse (Performer), Janet Perry (Performer), José van Dam (Performer), Karin Ott (Performer), Leopold Valenta (Performer), Tobias Pfulb (Performer), Victor von Halem (Performer), Volker Horn (Performer), Wolfgang Bunten (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Agnes Baltsa, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Christian Schulz, Edith Mathis, et al.
• Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
• Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001G4V
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,593 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Ouvertüre

2. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 1. No. 1. Introduktion. Zu Hilfe! Zu Hilfe! / Wo bin ich?

3. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 1. No. 2. Arie. Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja / He da!... Was da?

4. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 1. No. 3. Arie. Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön / Rüste dich mit Mut und Stan

5. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 1. No. 4. Rezitativ und Arie. O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn! / Ist es denn W

6. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 1. No. 5. Quintett. Hm, hm, hm

See all 8 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 1. No. 8. Finale. Zum Ziele führt dich diese Bahn

2. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 1. No. 8. Finale. Wie stark ist nicht dein Zauberton

3. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 1. No. 8. Finale. Schnelle Füsse, rascher Mut

4. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 1. No. 8. Finale. Es lebe Sarastro, Sarastro lebe!

5. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 2. No. 9. Marsch der Priester / Ihr engeweihten Diener der Götter Isis und Osir

6. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 2. No. 10. Arie mit Chor. O, Isis und Osiris / Eine schreckliche Nacht!

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 2. Hier seid ihr beide euch allein überlassen / No. 16. Terzett. Seid uns zum z

2. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 2. No. 17. Arie. Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden

3. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 2. No. 18. Chor der Priester. O, Isis und Osiris / Tamino, dein Betragen war bi

4. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 2. No. 19. Terzett. Soll ich dich, Teurer, nicht mehr sehn? / Tamino! Tamino!

5. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 2. No. 20. Arie. Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen wünscht Papageno sich! / Da bin ich

6. Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), opera, K. 620: Act 2. No. 21. Finale. Bald prangt, den Morgen zu verkünden

See all 10 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful but overlooked Flute, January 7, 2003

By 

Yi-Peng (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (Audio CD)

This digital DG recording of Mozart's comic masterpiece is truly an excellent recording, but one that has been sadly overlooked by many people who love to listen to recordings of the opera. The strong cast shows singers like Jose van Dam (as a dark and firm Sarastro) and Edith Mathis (as a sweet-toned Pamina) on top form and in their element when they sing their roles. Francisco Araiza makes as lyrical a Tamino as Gottfried Hornik a light, if somewhat staid Papageno, and Karin Ott's Queen of the Night could do with just a little bit more power and weight. This recording shows that Karajan can be restrained when he chooses to, and it is definitely true here, since Karajan does not conduct this score with as teutonic a feel as he does with Beethoven and Wagner. Although the documentation and libretto are both top-notch, I feel that now with today's CD technology, the whole recording (including the dialogue) can fit onto a 2-CD set without trouble. DG should have reissued this recording in its twofer series, instead of the Fricsay version. This makes this set seem expensive, but this can be forgiven because it was released in the infancy of audio CD technology, when CDs could not take up as much music as today. Perhaps this can be corrected, but this will not stop people from really enjoying an overlooked Zauberflote, which shows Karajan's affinity with the music (this is his second recording.)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Doesn't deserve to be forgotten, August 25, 2008

By 

Roberto (SF, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (Audio CD)

Somehow, this record entered the oblivion. It was the first digital recording ever released by DG and maybe the engineers were still learning the new technology. The recording suffers from low dynamic balance, but this have a good side effect of enhancing the subtleties of the pianissimos. The secret is not to listen to this recording loud. So why my 5 starts? Two words: Edith Mathis. Her legato on Pamina's second act aria deserves 5, 6, 7, 8, infinite starts. As for everybody else, it is a great cast. I own this CD for several years and it still amazes me.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Three stars, but with an explanation, February 18, 2010

By 

J. Wayland Eheart (east central Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (Audio CD)

I won't comment on the artistry, and will let others do that. I'll comment on the sound quality only.

I just resurrected my turntable, and this is about the third opera I've listened to on it since doing so. So, yes, I have the LP version which, consistent with the description here, says on the back that it's recorded in digital, making my discs, I suppose DDA or DAA. Anyway, in comparison to the other LP operas I've listened to since the resurrection, this one has a much better sound stage, and more full spectrum sound. Nevertheless, as I've been alternating parts of it with my Telarc CD set with Jerry Hadley (a local boy from here in Central Illinois and one of my favorite tenors before his untimely death), the DG LP set doesn't hold a candle to the Telarc CD set in terms of sound quality. The latter has much more full spectrum sound and a better sound stage.

I like going back through my old LPs but to me the sound quality is really disappointing and reminds me of the old Caruso recordings as portrayed in movies and on TV. I'm left to wonder how I ever listened to that stuff, but in those days that's all there was.

Since it was recorded digitally (and maybe even if it weren't), I suppose the DDD-CD recording of this would be better than my LP, but I'm not sure it's worth $50. It must be a fairly early DDD, which makes me a little leery about the sound quality even so.