In May 2018 the premier of Franz Lehar's The Merry Widow was a thundering success. It was not only Claus Guth's sophisticated and insightful production that earned critical acclaim, the musical performance also received several accolades in it's own right. The energetic conducting by Joana Mallwitz, Marlis Petersen in the title role, with Iurii Samoilov as Danilo by her side and Kateryna Kasper and Martin Mitterrutzner as Valencienne and Camille de Rosillon, the perfect couple, had audiences spellbound. The present release is a live recording of the phenomenal premier at Oper Frankfurt.