In 1966 he made his debut at the Vienna State Opera conducting Luchino Visconti's production of the same opera with Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as Falstaff. During his time in Vienna he also recorded the opera for Columbia Records and conducted his first subscription concert with the Vienna Philharmonic (which is made up of players from the Vienna State Opera) featuring Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde" with Fischer-Dieskau and James King. He returned to the State Opera in 1968 for a production of "Der Rosenkavalier" and in 1970 for Otto Schenk's production of Beethoven's "Fidelio".