“…it [the CD] sounds magnificent. The Kaiserin and Fäberin of Camilla Nylund and Nina Stemme are particularly well characterised, and beautifully sung. Best of all, in this uncut performance, is the sovereign playing of the orchestra under Christian Theilemann.”

"...This is essential listening for anyone interested in this remarkable work."

“The finest live Frau we have on CD.”

“… The clearly best performance comes from Nina Stemme in the role of the Dyer. She sings the versatile role with changing temperament between lovely and scratchy, just as Strauss probably imagined it. The Swedish soprano’s creative intelligence and the theatrically confident feeling is incomparable here as in other roles. Camilla Nylund sings with a genuinely beautiful and colourful voice and gives the Empress a strong character. In the role of the Emperor, Stephen Gould impresses with a slender, mostly confident tenor voice… Wolfgang Koch’s Barak shows himself to be a perfect Strauss singer, both dramatically and vocally. Christian Thielemann’s conducting is phenomenal, and under his direction the orchestra of the Vienna State Opera blossoms into a top Strauss orchestra. Despite the energetic accentuation and the opulent sound, he also proves to be a master of the most delicate, sensual expression, bringing an immense amount of breath and intensity to the opera. From the finest to the most powerful passages, the orchestra offers a dramatically exciting performance with an impressive transparency and variety of colours.” *****