Puccini
“The husband-and-wife partnership of Gheorghiu and Alagna is formidably demonstrated in Decca’s recording… with Chailly in taut control and speeds consistently on the fast side… Gheorghiu’s glorious singing is powerfully matched by the heroic tones of Alagna, culminating in a deeply moving death scene. With voices well forward and with words exceptionally clear, in an acoustic more open than in most Milan recordings, the brilliance of Chailly’s reading is enhanced. The notable casting among the rest is that of Simon Keenlyside… consistently responsive and alert. Elisabetta Scano is a light, bright Musetta, strongly contrasted with Gheorghiu.” The Penguin Guide