This set dates back more than 30 years to 1969‚ a period when Suitner was recording a number of operas for Eurodisc with East German forces. At the time‚ the area‚ largely divorced from Western influence‚ still maintained repertory companies‚ and most of the singers taking part here were attached to the opera houses in East Berlin and/or Dresden. In his original review‚ Stanley Sadie thought‚ indeed‚ that this recording derived from stage performances brought into the studio‚ and on the whole admired the results. I share his enthusiasm for Suitner’s brisk yet sensitive and stylish approach to the score‚ fine detail observed‚ nothing exaggerated‚ and delicately executed. The male side of the cast is very strong. Schreier‚ then in his Mozartian prime‚ sings a fluent‚ intelligent and gloriously phrased Ferrando. Leib is a Guglielmo full of character as expressed in smiling tone and clear diction. The two voices combine well‚ as they do with Adam’s wise‚ world­weary Alfonso‚ a predictably thoughtful portrayal. On the female side‚ Geszty‚ then a reigning Zerbinetta‚ is a fleet‚ strong­voiced and amusing Despina. The sisters are rather less admirable. Casapietra recovers from an uncertain‚ ill­tuned start to sing ‘Come scoglio’ with welcome authority‚ but is never quite secure in her delivery. Curiously she is deprived of ‘Per pietà’‚ an inexcusable and incomprehensible cut (Ferrando also loses his last aria‚ as often used to be the case). Burmeister‚ famed at the time as a Bayreuth Fricka and as a Bach interpreter‚ has too much of the contralto to make her an ideal Dorabella‚ but as both her arias and her contributions to the duets are sung with the right spirit‚ one can overlook the disadvantage of her somewhat hefty tone. As a whole I enjoyed hearing this set again. The well­balanced recording wears its years lightly‚ but for all its assets‚ at mid­price this version must yield to the two classic EMI versions listed above‚ which at mid­price also have the advantage of keener production.