"Returning to Klemperer’s Zauberflote a long time away from it, I found the conductor’s measured way with the score as impressive as ever. Gedda is a forthright Tamino, Popp a nonpareil of a Queen of Night, Berry an enchanting Papageno, and the small parts are admirably taken...and once again I noted the uniform excellence of EMI’s sound during this golden period when Suvi Raj Grubb was taking over from Legge." - Alan Blyth, GRAMOPHONE

"...Klemperer's 1964 EMI version includes the arias and ensembles only, omitting the dialogue. Klemperer's mesmerizing concentration compensates for the loss in dramatic immediacy. He patiently unravels Mozart's scoring like a veteran storyteller who relishes every little detail of plot and subplot. The pacing is weighty at times, but never ponderous in the manner of Klemperer's later Mozart opera recordings.
There's not a weak link in the cast. The stratospheric reaches of the Queen of the Night's two arias hold no problems for Lucia Popp...Nicolai Gedda brings ardency, tenderness, and intelligence to Tamino, and Walter Berry's rounded, splendidly articulated Papageno is a joy. Gottlob Frick takes easy charge of Sarastro's low-lying tessitura (quite impressive for a 58-year-old singer), while the young Gundula Janowitz's fresh, radiant timbre is just right for Pamina. EMI's remastering enlivens the bloom and sparkle that characterizes this classic recording." - Jed Distler, ClassicsToday