Beethoven: Fidelio (Metropolitan Opera)

Two legendary heroic voices are heard here in their golden prime tenor Jon Vickers sings the role of imprisoned hero Florestan, and soprano Birgit Nilsson is his wife Leonore, who disguises herself as the youth Fidelio in order to save her husband. One of the greatest German conductors of the 20th century, Karl Böhm, conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus, with a distinguished cast that includes the German baritone Hermann Uhde (Don Pizarro), Austrian bass Oskar Czerwenka (Rocco) and three memorable American singers soprano Laurel Hurley (Marzellina), tenor Charles Anthony (Jaquino) and bass Giorgio Tozzi (Don Fernando). 2 CDs taken from the February 13, 1960 broadcast