If I had to demonstrate to a young, sceptical collector just why so many of us were enchanted by the sheer sound of the youthful Schwarzkopf's voice after the war I would undoubtedly direct him or her to the performances here of what we have always called ''Sheep may safely graze'' (Cantata No. 208), ''My heart ever faithful'' (Cantata No. 68) and ''Sweet bird'' (with its glorious high D). They show the fresh, silvery voice at its best, the tone floated effortlessly on a stream of pure tone with an unfettered legato. These are examples, if ever I heard them, of bel canto in our era. If the slightly vibrant voice and vital characterization are out of line with current fashions in singing Bach and Handel, so much the worse for them. Schwarzkopf's readings are at once very personal, yet have a touch of the other-worldly that suits the music. The middle movement of Jauchzet Gott is just as attractive, but in the outer ones the soprano is perhaps trying just a little hard to convey joy. The attack, at very fast speeds, is a trifle insistent and in the runs there's just a suggestion of unwanted aspiration.
The account of Exsultate, jubilate is again notable for the intimate, ideally vocalized performance of the slow movement, phrased with great Innigkeit and with the art that conceals art. The outer movements are very recognizable Schwarzkopf, with those little touches of shading and colouring that are her trademark. These characteristics have become more prominent by the Beethoven discs of 1954. Her account of Ah, perfido! is very much in the mould of her Donna Elvira, the sense of a woman wronged very keenly proposed in the bite and projection of the recitative. In the Gluckian aria itself Schwarzkopf graphically conveys the sorrow of the protagonist. The flexibility of her lyric soprano is an advantage in a piece so often sung by unwieldy voices. However, ''Abscheulicher'' really does need a heavier soprano, especially at the start where Schwarzkopf sounds too petulant. In spite of that, I have always enjoyed Schwarzkopf's clever management of the piece, especially her soft, tender singing of ''Komm, o Hoffnung'': many a Hochdramatische would like to be able to emulate that, as well as this soprano's subtleties of accent and phrasing.
Karajan's conducting of these Beethoven items and the Philharmonia's contribution (Dennis Brain's horn playing quite lovely in the Fidelio extract), both here and elsewhere, demonstrate the high standards prevailing in Walter Legge's mono recordings of the day.'