Generally considered the most important operetta composer of the first half of the twentieth century, Franz Lehár was not only a master of lush, infectious melodies but a skilled orchestrator whose musical language conveys a wide range of human emotions. Made in 1953, this was the first complete recording of The Land of Smiles, of which The Gramophone magazine wrote: “The principals all excel in sentiment. [Schwarzkopf offers] perfection of performance … Loose is the ideal soubrette … Gedda sounds young and caressing … Kunz’s charm … and Kraus imparts the right touch of sternness”. Principal among the many vocal highlights is the melting “Dein ist meines ganzes Herz” from Act II, ravishingly sung by Nicolai Gedda.