This Flute, recorded in l950, though shorn of all dialogue, is still a contender. Herbert von Karajan’s touch is light and airy, but he also knows how to nicely lay on the spookiness in Tamino’s quest scenes. Anton Dermota is a splendid Tamino–noble, manly, and ardent–and Irmgard Seefried’s Pamina is luscious. Erich Kunz’s Papageno sounds like a beer-hall good guy, and he always sings right in the middle of the note. Wilma Lipp gets almost all of the Queen of the Night’s notes, but she never sounds menacing. If it’s menace you want, look no further than George London’s Speaker–a real heavy. Ludwig Weber’s Sarastro seems wise and nicely aged. The Three Boys are sung by three women–a habit I’ve never liked and still don’t. The Vienna Philharmonic plays as well as we’d expect, but the recording is treble heavy. This shouldn’t be anyone’s only Flute, but for Seefried (and perhaps Dermota) fans, it’s a must. And personally, I don’t miss the dialog.
