Mozart: Cosi Fan Tutte - Lisa Della Casa et al (Karl Bohm cond.) 2 CD set

This little-known COSI is Karl Bohm's first of three studio versions; the best known is the 1962 EMI Legge-Schwarzkopf, which is more "complete." Still, in this 1955 edition we behold the legendary post-war Vienna Mozart "Colony," the likes of which never existed again. (Della Casa's Fiordiligi has to be heard to be believed.) Bohm's tempi are more expansive and "Viennese" than in the 1962 or the DG '74 set. And the Vienna Philharmonic shines like burnished gold in twilight.

The sound is vivid and warm, as a fine German-pressed LP would sound on a top-flight system...And no wonder: close headphone listening reveals ambient vinyl noises- more noticeable in some spots than in others, and never enough to be distracting- but clearly, this set is based on vinyl sources. The liner notes play dumb about this, but probably the master tapes were either lost, stolen, or damaged.

In any case, it's obvious that a lot of care was lavished upon getting the best possible sound (from test pressings in the Decca vaults?) : none of that excessive Cedar-ing or No Noise-ing that can suck the "color" and life out of the music.

And what music. This is Bel Canto and concentrated melos, such as has been abolished by International Law, and through which we shall never live again.

EAN: 4011222229373

Membran Music Ltd, 2005

Country: Germany

Very good condition

C02