Wishing to acquire CD in the famous Beethoven Fidelio's great, I chose this version because I love classical music works interpreted by Herbert von Karajan in general (without idealizing). Thus, I find the music of this work and beautiful and powerful voices are pleasing to hear. Despite a couple of details in the interpretation or passages that displease me a bit, I recommend this version. I had the opportunity to see the opera Fidelio has on two occasions and the first had me much but the second a little less. So I put the Karajan version of the same level as my first experience of this opera.
I think the sound of Karajan seems powerful and with some fairly rapid pace (as opposed to interpreted works by Otto Klemperer that last longer than average). I find Karajan very good in the works of German style (Beethoven, Wagner, Brahms, Strauss).