I have been studying Die Zauberflöte in all its facets for over forty years, and have heard every Queen of Night of whom I could find recordings. There is evidence that Josepha Hofer, the singer who created the role in 1791, was more what we would think of as a canary than a true dramatic coloratura, but there is no doubt in my mind that, contrary to his usual practice, Mozart composed this role for an ideal voice he heard in his mind's ear, rather than the special talents of any particular performer. Mme Hofer's voice may have resembled Erika Köth's or Erna Berger's rather than Edda Moser's, but I think if Mozart could have heard Moser, he'd have thought 'At last! The true Astrafiammante!' Everything is here: the hysterical rage, the imperious, demanding tone, the homicidal fury. And of course the vocalism is perfect: top Fs strong and on pitch, triplets in tempo and well articulated, and over all the strong rhythmic pulse of the true artist. No other singer has come close to matching Moser's achievement in this role. She is the Queen of a lifetime.

Warum diese Aufnahme so unnachahmlich großartig gelungen ist, hat Edda Moser mal selbst erzählt: " Mich hatte man als Königin der Nacht für diese Aufnahme engagiert. Ich kam dann nach München, da sagte mir der Produzent Helmut Storjohann: ‚Es gibt da ein kleines Problem: Frau Sawallisch möchte Sie nicht als Königin haben.‘ Worauf ich fragte, was Frau Sawallisch mit der Aufnahme zu tun hätte? Daraufhin hat der von mir verehrte Helmut Storjohann gesagt: ‚Wenn die Edda die Königin der Nacht nicht singt, fällt die ganze Produktion aus!‘ Sawallisch hat dann in den sauren Apfel gebissen und fragte mich bei der ersten Sitzung etwas kühl, ob ich mit der ersten oder zweiten Arie anfangen möchte. Ich sagte, ich nehme gerne die zweite. Und in dieser Wut, die ich hatte, weil man mich nicht wollte, habe ich den ganzen Zorn in die Arie gelegt und in einem Take durchgesungen. Und diese Aufnahme ist jetzt auf der Platte und schwebt irgendwo über den Sternen."

The best Queen of the night. forever and ever ( for me)

I've just finished listening to 40 sopranos attempt this great aria, and in my opinion, Madame Moser's is the greatest interpretation, including crystal clear, accurate, unforced top notes and wonderful legato and staccato. Thrilling to hear this done so brilliantly by a true dramatic soprano as Mozart intended.

Moser had the coloraturas, the high notes and could sing it dramatically like nobody ever did on record. She is as close as possible to our ideas of that character. And that´s why there seems no doubt this is the best version ever :-) And Sawallisch is as fierce as Moser. What a great combination!

Simply amazing! Perfect pitch, incredible range, massive vocal agility, and incredible richness in her voice. Madame Moser was born to sing this role.

It is the BEST version! I have heard over 10 other singers sing this song, but this remains the best

Listen to the power in her voice when she says the 1st "Tod." That's where you hear menace she is giving to Pamina. Edda Moser is a badass, especially in this aria.

Damrau is still my favorite but Edda's interpretation has the same passion that I enjoy in Damrau's. Finally, another singer who had the rage while still making it a pleasureable thing to listen to. Bravo for Edda!

Did you know this aria was sent into the space inside the Voyager 1 interstellar record? May one day an alien listen to these beautiful sounds...

Gruberova, Deutekom, Damrau, Popp are fantastic queens of the night but EDDA MOSER IS THE BEST a very space song

The Best performance. Her dramatic and strong voice with such a coloratura... Oh my God She nailed. No one else: She is the Queen.

I come back to this all the time when I want to hear the best rendition of this aria.

Sie ist unübertroffen ! Danke, Madame Moser.

I'm nearly 74 and have heard this 100 times by 30+ artists, and I have to agree with Krowa Paulinka, SakumaRyuichiNG, and suzabella68, among other fine comments. One needs to project an evil, emotional power that is difficult to convey when focussed on the very difficult runs and demands that Wolfie wanted. But, while he was no harder on peformers than he was on himself, not every performer is a Mozart in their expertise, nor safe at any speed! Perhaps this comment sums it all: Dragan Milunovic5 months agoThanks God, at last a performance close to Mozart’s intended tempo. Edda Moser has the resolution, strength, the drama. She is in a real killer mood, threatening like a thunder, but in a rage more potent than the heaven itself. Her mighty voice is merciless but clear and transparent as a piece of ice. So much energy so crisp, so much emotions so genuine.

Moser said that she was more of a dramatic soprano who could sing coloraturas. That´s why the aria seems tailor-made for her.

Wow amazing! Her voice is still so strong in the higher notes where others falter. It's like she's pierced the stratosphere. Incredible!

Edda Moser is considered the greatest Queen of the Night. She was brilliant in the role.

The fiery dramatic Moser, with the most intense Queen of the Night aria ever. Its like listening the most stormy nightmarish thunder! Woof!!

I love it when a singer takes her daily dose of "Cut-a-bitch" extra strength before singing this piece.

Moser and Popp are in a class of their own in this lovely piece of music.

her voice fits soooo good for this! Nice drammatic soprano

The Queen of the night will forever belong to Edda Moser. No, no, no, no, no other soprano who has or is attempting this role will ever beat Edda Moser THE Queen of the night. Absolutely brilliant, fantastic. Love Edda.❤❤

이걸 듣고 귀가 열렸읍니다...

Since this is Mother's Day and all.

Moser's is one of the very few -- and IMHO the best -- interpretations of this aria that sounds like the singer is actually filled with murderous wrath. Spine-tingling! I enjoy the other interpretations, too, but not in the same way.

The last "hört" - pure perfection.

I can never get enough of Moser's Queen. If i were to pick aria to listen to 24/7 for the rest of my life this would be it!! Simply stunning, the best. Vocal and dramatic requirements all down to an art!

Fantastic voice! What a pleasure to hear such talent and ease of expression. Her high notes are impeccable

Fantastic... La justesse et la facilité des notes les plus élevées... La véhémence... C'est la meilleure de toutes dans cet air le plus difficile de l'Art Lyrique...!

the best Queen ever. So much anger and fury in her voice. so crystal clear and yet so powerful and round....wow....

I've heard a lot of singers interpret this song but by far, Edda Moser conquers this the best. Only other singer I can count as being equal with her is Cristina Deutekom.

Best Queen of the Night I've ever heard, bar none. Perfect and ridiculously explosive. No soprano could interpret anger/fury like Moser. "Or sai che l'onore" and "D'Oreste, d'Aiace" are also great examples of Moser's phenomenal power.

"Der Hölle Rache" is perhaps the most perfect and beautiful expression of pure evil in all of Western music. Edda Moser's performance is the gold standard - the one that will infallibly make the hair stand up on my neck. This is one recording that truly did deserve to be immortalized on Voyager.

Edda Moser - The best for ever !!!

I have listened to a great many sopranos singing the Queen of the Night. Moser is the greatest that I have ever heard.

the best version of all time.

Wow! What a voice! This performance energises me, it's powerful, electrifying. It couldn't get any better than this.

She made this hers. She does it so well that it seems easy, Unbelievable.

Truly a worship-worthy interpretation! The dramatic weight in her voice makes this recording most compelling and believable. Her instrument is amazing, especially when her vibrato kicks in.

She and Diana Damrau are my favourite versions of this piece, they show so much potential in their voices and hit the high notes right on point, plus they match the role of queen very well.

In my opinion, Edda Moser is the best Queen of the Night I ever heard because due to her tone she's frightening, and for me, the Queen must be frightening. I think a simple coloratura can't play the role because the voice is too slight. The first time I heard Edda Moser it was like someone just slaped me in the face. I LOVE HER !

For me, Edda Moser and Lucia Popp's Queen of the Night is unsurpassed. Wonderful, thank you for the upload.

omg sie ist so genial! Ich hab als ich das Lied aufführen musste ihre Art es zu singen studiert und hattes jedesmal eine Gänsehaut! Sie hat meinen vollen Respekt und Bewunderung!

WOW! I nce heard Moser sing Donna Anna at the Met many years ago. It must have been an off-night for her, because I remember being unfavorably impressed, but THIS is a revelation. I had no idea this darkly beautiful woman was capable of singing the Queen of the Night with such fire, fury, passion an pinpoint accuracy "in alt" INCREDIBLE! I suspect Diana Damrau, whomI adore, must have taken her cues from Ms. Moser's splendid interpretain of this bizarre, enigmatic role. Too many who are able to sing it at all make of it a delicate, girlishly "pretty" coloratura xtravaganza, which is completely at odd's with the ferocious hostility of Mozart's Queen of the Night.

LEGEND...

This would be a show stopper for me- amazing! Such power & authority & a little but unhinged!

i've got goosebumps... edda moser's interpretation is the best

The greatest version of this aria!

La versión más cercana a la perfección. Absolutamente increíble !!!

Edda Moser and Sumi Jo are the best queens of the night.

Absolutely stunning performance. Everything is there. Purity of sound, solid technique with great security on every note, perfect pitch at all times, incredible interpretation and murderous rage. What more can anyone want. Leaves everyone else dead in her wake.

OMG...I love this womans PASSION in this! I like Lucia Popp's version also :P Lucia Popp does a wonderful job!

I searched "best der holle rache" and found this, and it didn't disappoint me!

This is the way this aria should be sung. Moser sang this aria better than anyone I've ever heard. She had a big voice and those F6 are so perfect and in tune. Her fioritura technique was also very precise and sung in full voice. Bravissima!

Once a year or so I come here to listen to what I perceive as pushing human abilities to a definite limit. Edda Moser makes the Queen of the Night sound as extraterrestrial as is that Voyager record. I feel blessed to listen to such a unique score on play&repeat as if it's nothing.

My daughter was conceived to this song

A melhor interpretação que já ouvi.....belissimo!!!

This is the best Queen of the night EVER!

The Queen of Queens of Night reigns supreme. Edda Moser has the dramatic grip and capability both physically and interpretaton-wise to combine nobless and beauty with fevor and controlled rage. The voice is beautiful and powerful-what an achievement.

Que voz GIGANTE e que perfeição na emissão das notas!MARAVILHOSA!

Yes, Damrau is fantastic. But Edda Moser taught her the strhght, the rage. Damrau added her fantastic body language to the part, but Moser is unique, superb, unbeatable. If I was an extra terrestrial I would think twice before invading earth. The voice is too powerful a weapon. Awesome! Love you Edda!!!!

DANKE an Frau Sawallisch.Ohne sie hätte es nicht den emotionalen surplus gegeben, der diese Aufnahme so einmalig macht

Die beste Version die ich bisher gehört habe.... Danke!

0:29 that note alone... Oh My God ! 👑🐦

the perfect voice to sing this aria.

There are many worthwhile renditions, but this is definitely the best. Both interpretation and execution are simply flawless.

..nobody better than Moser...rage and melancholy that ascends from hell itself, and relentlessly disperses into the cosmos....no less......

WHAT A VOICEEEE! increibleeee! magistral! asombrado con el talentaso de esta mujer!

ESPECTACULAR!!!👏👏👏👏

Gorgeous, clear, and passionate. I could listen to her for dayzzzz

I'll never realize why people hit the dislike button in masterpieces like these.

WOW!! What a powerful voice! So dramatic!!

Spectacular!!!!!

Fantastical voice, the best version I've ever heard. Nightingale and Diva.

Einfach traumhaft!!! Edda Moser war und wird die einzige wahre Königin der Nacht bleiben. Man merkt ihr die Emotionen wahrlich an, sie legt alles in ihre Stimme. An dieser Stelle ist wohl nur noch Lucia Popp zu nennen, die annähernd diese stimmliche Qualität erreicht. Danke für dieses Posting!!!

Esta es la interpretación más poderosa que he escuchado, comparándola con Diana Damrau y Luciana Sierra.

This is the only way this role should be sung in my humble opinion. there, i said it.

According to Wikipedia, Edda is the perfect example of a dramatic coloratura soprano, an exceptional type of voice which has "great flexibility in high-lying velocity passages, yet with great sustaining power comparable to that of a full spinto or dramatic soprano. "

what a voice, great queen of the night.I would say one of the best and most beautiful.

Su interpretacion es furiosa!!! me encanta!!!! una mujer descontroladaaa totalmente!!! Diana Damrau Tambien tiene un poco de esto!

When I first heard her, my thought was "Wow this is the angriest Queen of night I've ever heard."

Why haven' wet heard as much of Edda Moser as we have other sopranos? She's fantastic! Since hearing this, I've acquired several recordings of her and not been disappointed. *eargasm* - love it! Although many can successfully negotiate this music, we can then discern by looking at interpretation. I, personally, love someone with a little bit of 'bite' or malice for this aria. For me (and it's a personal thing), Moser and Deutekom do it for me every time!

I remember this banger when I was a kid. I’d be at my grandmother’s estate and listening to this song every day on her little radio, good times were had. ❤

Fantástico :o

Even though Damrau is a perfect coloratura singer I believe Moser is more suitable for this role.

A melhor interpretação - segurança, impetuosidade e ao mesmo tempo doçura...eu amo cada vez que ouço ela cantar...Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!

her voice combines the height and agility of a coloratura with the dramatic intensity of a lirico spinto. perfect combination

Bueno, se nota la diferencia de la pronunciación a comparación de cantantes no alemanas. Excelente interpretación.

She sounds very hysterical while singing. That makes it so believable. But this recording sounds too fast for me!

Oh my! the power of a Dramatic Soprano 😍😍😍

la mejor interpretación!! sorprendente una soprano dramática!

this is amazing and how did I get here xD

This was the definitive version of our era. Until Diana Damrau. The queen is dead, long live the queen.

i'm a total musical philistine but i listened to this aria being performed by most on u-tube and moser is exceptional.. aggressive, passionate and powerful.. amazing

She is THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT❤️❤️❤️

Magnificent, omg better than D. Damrau 😮😮😮❤️

I've never heard Moser singing this and now I can say that she is indeed the only Queen!! Still, I don't like Demrau's version.

The best Madame Moser!!! Besser geht es nicht, schon dies ist eine Untertreibung!

Anyone who thinks that this woman is shouting in parts of the aria, must not know what she actually says. Believe me, Edda Moser was and is the best interpreter of this song. Dark, wrathful, vengeful, and with an amazing control of the voice... its no reason that when they made the Golden Record on the Voyager Satellite - it was HER voice they used as the example of opera.