About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

Charles Mackerras turns in a fleet and elegant performance of "Die Zauberflöte" with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra & Chorus. Barbara Hendricks is especially good as Pamina, singing with radiant and regal tone. Jerry Hadley's tenor is not the most sensual instrument, but he sings with passion and musicality. As the Queen of the Night, June Anderson is certainly up to the task, but she lacks the fiery fury to make the character genuinely frightening; her vocal pyrotechnics are impressive but not thrilling. Robert Lloyd adequately manages the role of Sarastro, but he doesn't have the authority and gravity to anchor the opera, as the character should. Thomas Allen's Papageno maneuvers the fine line of being funny without descending into slapstick, and his voice is warm and supple; it's an especially ingratiating performance, one of the finest Papagenos on disc. Ulrike Steinsky is a hilarious and adorable Papagena. The singing in the secondary roles is uniformly very fine. The spoken dialogue, rather than being a distraction, moves the drama along nicely and gives the singers the opportunity to develop their characterizations. The sound is clear and warm, and the engineers create a convincing sense of dramatic space, with tasteful and convincing sound effects. Stephen Eddins, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

• Listener Rating: