Although it’s never likely to become frequently performed (a one­acter – but what could one pair it with? – it needs a huge orchestra and a very large‚ with one exception‚ male cast)‚ Friedenstag has been very fortunate on record. There is an invaluable historic recording (Koch Schwann‚ 10/95 – nla) made by the original cast‚ headed by Viorica Ursuleac and Hans Hotter‚ not long after the première. It has all the authority that Strauss’s presence at rehearsals and Clemens Krauss’s conducting would lead you to expect. Robert Bass’s performance on Koch Classics has excellent principals (Alessandra Marc and Roger Roloff) and casts many of the important smaller roles from strength: Richard Cassilly‚ George Shirley and William Wilderman all make positive contributions. Wolfgang Sawallisch goes even further in this direction‚ with Kurt Moll giving the few lines of the peace­bringing Holsteiner the authority that they need; Sawallisch’s principals‚ Sabine Hass and Bernd Weikl‚ withstand even comparison with Ursuleac and Hotter. Sinopoli’s recording has magnificent‚ committed and full­throated choral singing‚ and this makes the final scene sound as Fidelio­like as Strauss undoubtedly wished. Albert Dohmen‚ who has sung Wotan but here sounds at times more like Alberich‚ is a powerful Commandant. Many of the ‘secondary’ roles‚ however‚ are taken by respectable but taxed comprimario singers. The Holsteiner is adequate‚ but overwhelmed in his duet­scene with the Commandant; the Burgomaster is rather weedy (the score describes him as ‘old but sturdy’). But whether you find this performance worth setting alongside its competitors will ultimately depend on how Deborah Voigt’s voice strikes you. It is splendidly penetrating in those scenes where Maria must dominate a big ensemble or a massive tutti‚ but below ff there are hints of unsteadiness‚ her lower register is harsh‚ and the overall sound is metallic. This is‚ to my mind‚ no voice to proclaim a vision of peace‚ and for all Sinopoli’s eloquence and the splendidly ample recording‚ I cannot say that this new Friedenstag measures up to its predecessors.