Proclaimed by Arturo Toscanini as ‘the greatest living soprano’, Elisabeth Rethberg (1894–1976) was renowned for her impeccable technique and style. She was a member of the Dresden Court Opera from 1915–22, and made a number of successful appearances in the opera houses of Berlin and Vienna, as well as Covent Garden. She made her American début (in Aida) at the Met in 1922, and was a member of that company for twenty years. Much admired by Richard Strauss, she premièred the composer’s Die ägyptische Helena. This 2-CD set contains Rethberg’s complete recordings made for the Brunswick Company. It includes arias from operas by Handel, Mozart, Weber, Wagner, Verdi, Puccini and Giordano, and Lieder by Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Tchaikovsky and Grieg, as well as a number of popular songs. In addition to all the published recordings, this set contains several previously unpublished items.