Description:

These days when one mentions such names as Christa Ludwig, Jess Thomas, Walter Berry and Karl Böhm one doesn’t generally think of Italian Grand Opera.   It is true that perhaps this is not the most Italianate performance, but these were great singers at the beginnings of their careers and they use the same skills that made their Wagner performances thrilling to good effect in this German Aida.  If you only knew Jess Thomas from the seventies I invite you to reacquaint yourself with this artist.  His voice was very sweet when he first started out.   Christa Ludwig sings with vengeance and fire not so much as blinking at any of the b flats in her duet with Radames.  Karl Böhm’s conducting is well-paced and, as always, favors the singers.  The sound is very good.

OD 10046-2