Favourite Zauberflote?

Wunderlich, Fischer-Dieskau, Hotter, Bohm, Berlin Phils on DG. Extremely musical and consistently entertaining, imo.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ...031BNJCC3BHEYKE0R9RR

I'll put in a recommendation for Sawallisch / Schreier, Moll, Moser, Rothenberger:

Other recommendations: Marriner, Solti. And Jacobs' new recording is apparently scheduled to be released by Harmonia Mundi next week, here in the Netherlands.

EJ

Up to yesterday evening my favourite Zauberflote was the delightful version by the RIAS Kammerchor and RIAS Symphonie-Orchester Berlin with Ferenc Fricsay conducting...



But Otto Klemperer may have swayed my favour just last night with my first listen of this Philharmonia Orchestra and chorus version when i was grin factor ten impressed to say the least...



Another version i enjoy (the highlights on CD) is the Chor und Orchester der Bayerischen Staatsoper Munchen, mit Dirigent Wolfgang Sawallisch although this sounds okay it's more serious than fun imho.

Die Zauberflote should always be fun, and have some magic! : )

Debs

I have, and love, the Boehm and Klemperer sets, but also Colin Davis's recording with the Dresden Staatskapelle for Philips from the early 1980s in its original 3CD format with lots of dialogue. Which raises a touchy point: Klemperer has no dialogue at all, Boehm has a bit, and both fit comfortably onto 2 CDs. The Davis set came originally on 3 CDs, but its budget price reissue appeared on just 2 CDs, so the dialogue must have been cut. It's a great performance, with the Dresden orchestra sounding predictably fine. I commend it.

I'm tempted by the Haitink set, but that's still at full price on 3 CDs, and I'm holding out for a mid-price reissue with some 3 minutes of dialogue removed from Act II to allow it to reappear on a couple of CDs. Although I might just have to get it while I can.......

Does anyone know the Abbado recording? It's quite good but it seems to lose steam near the finale. Wish Abbado would have taken this to the studio.

EJ