Many vinyl records are invaluable documents of their time, and hardly any series shows this as clearly as the Cologne recordings in the Electrola Collection. The re-release of these classics and rarities has met with an enthusiastic reception from  music-lovers and critics alike, and after the change from EMI Classics to Warner Classics the series is being continued under the name 'Cologne Collection'. The new additions cover opera and operetta, choral music and Lieder as well as the very first concerto recording made by top clarinettist Sabine Meyer.

The waltz and the Viennese Singspiel tradition are just as present in Franz von Suppé's operettas as French and Italian influences: his Boccaccio of 1879 carries the audience off to 14th century Florence. The turbulent comedy about poet Giovanni Boccaccio’s love life, well-known as something of a roué, offers plenty of space for situation comedy and at the same time the opportunity to show up the era’s prevailing double standards.

This 1974 recording delights with a vocal line-up that features big names even in the minor roles. And Boskovksy's conducting is "full of verve and good spirits" (Gramophone).