Delighted with the service from Amazon, an offer immediately after buying MP3 downloads to bridge the waiting time until the arrival of the package, I heard - by the numerous positive reviews curious - the same inside. Even in MP3 quality audibility and the brilliance of the recording, the effective highly polished, historical instruments, the rhythmic accentuation and the renunciation of all plush routine immediately was impressive. But there were not a few effects to much originality at all costs? That may be a matter of taste, but for my taste it was a bit of overkill. Then the singers: pleasing unused votes, juvenile (up to precisely Mary-Ellen Nesi that sounds a bit too mature for Cerubino), rather than just class. Some more passages breathed into the microphone as sung (as requested by Currentzis that one should not sing in front of studio microphones, "as one would fill a huge theater"). The target, vibrato poor voice leading surprised especially with Simone Kermes as a countess who sounds almost unpleasant sharp.
In detailed booklet that I held in my hands a few days later (on the handling and durability has already been written), this is all plausible founded by the conductor. It would hardly be any objection (is ultimately a matter of taste), were it not for the excellent, in my opinion, in terms translated to historical authenticity scale recording of René Jacobs. Again, the historical instruments sound sharpened rhythmically and audibly, the recitatives the ornaments of the singers are rapidly and partially surprising. But it affects all of cultured and entirely appropriate. Only this actual reference-recording is not "harmonia mundi" published by a major company, but by and have therefore not found the attention as the new production of Sony. By contrast, this seems but slightly hyped with appropriate marketing effort.
In order not to be misunderstood: this Figaro of Currentzis is absolutely worth listening: He must, however, in my opinion, to the numerous other, to be judged musical standing at a comparable or even higher level shots. Because I would even rather tends to only three stars. But what distinguishes the recording are absolutely sound and recording technology (but just reveals the weaknesses). Anyone who wants to enjoy singing at the Mozart, should in any case (even in 1952, despite harsh sound quality one of the most impressive Mozart recordings) access to the historical recordings of Erich Kleiber (1959) and Fritz Reiner.
Technically the recording is impeccable. Sony seems to have adopted from the original SACD plans and sets the recording as a Blu-ray before (for which there are certainly more players than for SACD). This includes a hi-fi stereo version - 24bit / 192kHz and in Surround 5.1 - 24bit / 192kHz. In particular, the surround version offers even more subtleties and audibility. The instruments and the singers are plastically in the room. But the extra cost compared to the flat only in direct comparison acting CD worthwhile m. E. only at a correspondingly high quality facility. Even in the MP3 version of the effects come across well.
