This 6-disc collection features some of the most renowned singers of the 20th century. The first album showcases Nicolai Gedda’s interpretive genius with historical recordings made between 1954 and 1965 and featuring works by Mozart, Rossini, Glinka, Schubert, Poulenc, Rimsky-Korsakov and others. On the second album, Martina Arroyo’s rich, well-rounded voice is on full display during her performance at the Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele (SWF in those times). The third album includes recordings made at the height of Peter Anders’s career, featuring works by Wagner, Strauss, Beethoven, Schumann and Tchaikovsky. The fourth album spotlights Marilyn Horne at the peak of her abilities with an all-Rossini programme. Lastly, the fifth album is devoted to the incomparable Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, performing lesser-known Baroque repertoire in Stuttgart. This collection provides a captivating musical journey that presents some of the greatest voices of the 20th century.

What’s in the Box:

Nicolai Gedda sings Arias and Lieder
- Werner Singer (piano), Erik Werba (piano), SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg / Ernest Bour
These historical recordings date from 1954 to 1965 and feature one of the most famous singers of the 20th century. The programme illustrates the full range of Gedda’s interpretive genius, with works by Mozart, Rossini, Glinka, Schubert, Poulenc, Rimsky-Korsakov and others.

Martina Arroyo: Liederabend 1968
- Leonard Hokanson (piano)
Martina Arroyo was noted for the versatility of her voice. These Schwertzinger SWR Festspiele performances exude a warmth throughout her rich, well-rounded voice.

Peter Anders sings Arias and Lieder: The SWR Recordings (1946–1952) (2 CDs)
- Heinz Mende (piano), Hubert Giesen (piano), Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg / Otto Ackermann, Paul Burkhard
These recordings, made at the height of Peter Anders’s career, include works by Wagner, Strauss, Beethoven, Schumann and Tchaikovsky.

Rossini: Liederabend 1992
- Marilyn Horne (mezzo-soprano), Martin Katz (piano)
Although Marilyn Horne was 58 years old at the time of this concert, the recording reveals her as an artist at the height of her abilities. Although many Rossini operas are among the recordings Horne made over the course of her career, this all-Rossini programme demonstrates how she could also convincingly convey vocal works on a smaller scale.

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau sings Baroque Arias (1952–1954)
- Helmut Krebs (tenor), Erika Winkler (alto)
This collection of recordings by the incomparable Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau features lesser-known repertoire. The recordings were made in the 1950s for the Süddeutscher Rundfunk radio station in Stuttgart.