The cast of
Georg Solti's 1990 recording of Die Zauberflöte is not packed with stars, but the soloists are consistently excellent, so the lack of international fame of most of the singers shouldn't scare off listeners. One standout performance comes from
Kurt Moll, a hugely impressive, grave but sympathetic Sarastro, and his resonant voice is ideally situated for the part.
Sumi Jo as the Queen of the Night has a large, sumptuous voice that is capable of frightening power as well as the necessary coloratura pyrotechnics, which she tosses off with abandon.
Uwe Heilmann as Tamino and
Ruth Ziesak as Pamina make a sweet-voiced, ardent, and appealing couple. The
Vienna Philharmonic delivers a polished, responsive performance. As is typical of Decca's studio recordings, the engineers are generous in providing appropriate sound effects.