Unlike other Zauberflötes of the mono era, Ferenc Fricsay"s 1953 recording includes the dialogue, albeit spoken by actors rather than the singers. The prize assumptions here are Fischer-Dieskau"s youthful, engaging Papageno, Haefliger"s intelligent Tamino, Rita Streich"s effortless Queen of the Night, and Lisa Otto"s touching Pamina. Fricsay"s tight-knit pacing doesn"t hurt either. On balance, this is the finest of this short-lived conductor"s Mozart opera recordings. --Jed Distler