Over a performing career spanning half a century, Christa Ludwig, born in 1928, consistently proved her greatness. "A source of as deep a satisfaction and fullfilment as teh greatest of my operatic roles, " is how she described the place of song in her life, and the heart of this collection are the emblematic composers of the Austro-German repertoire. Throughout, Christa Ludwig's interpretative insight is a rich and compelling as her voice, exceptional for its beauty, range and flexibility. This 11-disc collection includes recordings never before released or new to CD, and all tracks have been remastered in 24BIT/96KHZ from origial tapes.