Catalogue | Organ

Ferenc Fricsay’s first complete recording of a Mozart opera was made in December 1949 for the RIAS Berlin. For Fricsay, Mozart was the barometer of musical interpretation. In his reading of Mozart, he differed noticeably from the performance practice of his time: he used smaller forces within the orchestra and choir, both almost in chamber formation, produced a transparent, carefully graded sound within which every detail remains audible. The differentiated sound, the fresh and contrasting tempi and the careful portrayal of details with the whole set lead to a coherent musical concept.
In this recording, akin to a pilot scheme, Fricsay’s Mozart ideals are clearly outlined.

For the "Entführung aus dem Serail" we have produced an audio trailer. This trailer shows the story line of the opera in a short entertaining form.

The production is part of our series "Legendary Recordings" and bears the quality feature "1st Master Release". This term stands for the excellent quality of archival productions at audite. For all historical publications at audite are based, without exception, on the original tapes from broadcasting archives. In general these are the original analogue tapes, which attain an astonishingly high quality, even measured by today‘s standards, with their tape speed of up to 76 cm/sec. The remastering – professionally competent and sensitively applied – also uncovers previously hidden details of the interpretations. Thus, a sound of superior quality results. CD publications based on private recordings from broadcasts cannot be compared with these.

• Audiophile Audition | Gary Lemco | May 22, 2009

  This Abduction from the Seraglio enjoys that fluid resonance with which we associate the best of Fricsay’s idiosyncratic, generous Mozart style. -...

• BBC Music Magazine | Anthony Pryer | January 3, 2009

  In this first complete recording Barabas is impressively agile and focused, Krebs superb, and the rest very pleasing. Spirited (if slightly erratic)...

• Classic Collection | January 12, 2010

  Ferenc Fricsay's first complete recording of a Mozart opera was made in December 1949 for the RIAS Berlin. For Fricsay, Mozart was the barometer of...

• classiqueinfo-disque.com | Laurent Marty | October 25, 2009

  Un Mozart enlevé en force
  Les enregistrements d’opéras en studio de Ferenc Fricsay ne rendent que très imparfaitement compte de ses talents de chef de fosse. Souvent mal...

• Fanfare | Mortimer H. Frank | January 11, 2009

  This release offers radio performances recorded in1949 and should not be confused with the fine account led by Fricsay four years later for Deutsche...

• Gramophone | Richard Wigmore | January 5, 2009

  An Abduction worth hearing, but Fricsay's studio version is still superior
  The famously baton-less Ferenc Fricsay was always an invigorating Mozart conductor, favouring slimmed-down forces, urgent (yet never hectic) tempi and...

• Journal de la Confédération musicale de France | January 12, 2008

  Comme en tout ce qui est sorti de la baguette de ce merveilleux chef, « clarté, légèreté, alacrité » semble être sa devise, avec bien sûr de...

• Ópera Actual | Juan Cantarell | January 7, 2009

  Por más que existan muchas y buenas grabaciones del Rapto mozar-tiano, ésta sí que merece la atención y se agradece su cuidada reedición, no...

• Pizzicato | Alain Steffen | January 1, 2009

  Abenteuer Musik
  Wenn es derzeit einen Preis für die interessantesten Booklets geben würde, so wäre meine Wahl schnell gefallen. Anstatt die immergleichen...

• Scherzo | Enrique Pérez Adrián | January 5, 2009

  Fricsay,Karajan
  Sigue la extraordinaria Edición Frícsay en el sello alemán Audite (distribuidor: Diverdí) con grabaciones radiofónicas de los cincuenta con muy...