These selections come from three projects, all recorded when Schwarzkopf was in her late 30s. She recorded 12 songs in 1952 with Edwin Fischer; they appeared here on Angel 35022, which I still have on my shelf. The songs with Gerald Moore—’Litanei’ and ‘Ungeduld’ from Die Schöne Müllerin—come from 1954, as do the Beethoven selections with Karajan.

Particularly welcome is the inclusion of two arias by Beethoven, Ah, perfido! And the great solo of Leonore in Fidelio. These are astonishing performances. With a voice that is not really of the heroic-dramatic build usually associated with them, Schwarzkopf achieves an effect to rank with the greatest, and she does it by concentration of pure tone, gradation of volume and intense focus upon meaning and emotion. The “Abscheulicher” is by turn fierce, tender and exhilarated in its determination, and all to a degree that is quite exceptional whether on records or onstage…

The first twelve tracks on this disc constitute one of the most famous Schubert recitals from the early LP era. Rarely if ever has Elisabeth Schwarzkopf sounded better or given so lovely and unaffected readings of German Lieder. One possible reason is that she was exceptionally inspired and one source for inspiration, apart from the songs themselves, may have been the presence of the legendary Edwin Fischer. He rarely, to my knowledge at least, appeared as accompanist but when he did he obviously managed to invest the piano part with that little extra that becomes the germ for great music-making. …In addition there is more than half an hour more music on the present issue and those recordings are also immensely interesting. First we get a wholly lovely interpretation of Litanei, a song that poses problems for the singer with its nine stanzas. Schwarzkopf and Moore make a consummate reading where every phrase, every inflexion is so well weighed and her tone so infallibly beautiful. Ungeduld, from Die schöne Müllerin is more ordinary—but ordinary Schwarzkopf is often in a league of its own anyway. There is though some occasional uncharacteristic strain.

The two Beethoven arias are unexpected pieces, neither of which she ever sang on stage or in the concert hall, and theoretically they should be on the heavy side for her. That she would be wonderful in the lyrical sections of Ah, perfido! was only to be expected but she also manages the dramatic outpourings with flying colours and she knows exactly the limitations of her vocal resources. There are a couple of low notes in Abscheulicher! where she is slightly uncomfortable, but otherwise hers is as good a reading as any I have heard – which goes some way to say that this is in no way a territory reserved for Hochdramatische singers in the Flagstad or Nilsson mould. With alert conducting and excellent playing from the original Philharmonia these are versions of the arias that require to be heard. The sound is more than acceptable.

Collectors of this Naxos series of Schwarzkopf reissues need not hesitate.