and The Marriage of Figaro, earning himself a reputation as an interpreter of Mozart's work. He also conducted performances of Verdi's Rigoletto, Don Carlos, Otello and Falstaff, and Richard Strauss's Salome, Arabella, and Der Rosenkavalier. Invited to the Salzburg Festival, he conducted Die Entführung aus dem Serail in 1961, and The Magic Flute in 1963. During this time, he also gave the first of many performances at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and conducted the Berlin Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, San Francisco Opera, North German Radio Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony, Munich Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto where he conducted Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel. Kertész's earliest recordings include Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 and Symphony No. 4. Having already recorded for EMI/Columbia records, Kertész now signed an exclusive contract with Decca/London. His British debut was with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in 1960. He made his US debut during the 1961–62 season, also beginning an association with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra whom he guest-conducted at Tel Aviv's Mann Auditorium in March 1962. Eventually, Kertész conducted over 378 compositions with the Israel Philharmonic over an eleven-year period. Cologne Opera In 1964, Kertész received an appointment as the general music director of the Cologne Opera where he conducted the first German performance of Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd and Verdi's Stiffelio, as well as the Mozart operas La clemenza di Tito, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte and The Magic Flute. While he established a good rapport with the often critical Cologne audience, they were sometimes unhappy with his often fast tempi. His 1970 Aida, with Martina Arroyo in the title role, with one interval and some cuts, lasted under three hours. London Symphony Orchestra Retaining his previous position as director of the Cologne Opera, he also became principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra from 1965 to 1968, and made guest appearances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. During his three years as principal conductor of the LSO, Kertész made recordings of the nine Dvořák symphonies, which included the first complete recording of the Symphony No. 1. The LSO dispensed with him when he sought control of all artistic matters; his contract was not renewed when it expired in 1968. During this period in Kertész's career, in 1966 he recorded Bluebeard's Castle with Christa Ludwig singing the role of Judith and Walter Berry in the