Le Nozze di Figaro, by Wolfgang A. Mozart, conducted by Karajan ★★★★ and Böhm ★★★★★
Both of these performances are awesome, the first with Herbert von Karajan, performed in 1949 with Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Irmgard Seefried, and George London, and the second by Karl Böhm, performed in 1969 with a star-studded cast of Hermann Prey, Gundula Janowitz, Edith Mathis, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, and Tatiana Troyanos. The sound of the Karajan recording was definitely inferior to Böhm’s later recording, providing the greatest distraction. Yet, for a post-war production, it has a stunning and awesome quality to it. Böhm maintains technical excellence while producing a piece that overwhelms with charm. Both recordings are fitting for the Mozart lover.