Here's a treat--more than two and one half hours of heart-stopping Bellini melodies sung by many of the best voices of the first half of the 20th century. The first disc is of acoustic recordings, the second, of electrics. With the exception of Claudia Muzio's gorgeous "Sorgi, o padre" from Bianca e Fernando, all selections derive from La Sonnambula, Norma, and I Puritani. The usual suspects are found on these 40 tracks, from sopranos Amelita Galli-Curci and Selma Kurz, whose amazingly fluent "Ah! non credea mirarti" from La Sonnambula is a highlight, to Rosa Ponselle and Maria Callas, the latter represented by her 1949 Cetra recording of "Qui la voce. . . Vien diletto" from I Puritani. Tenors range from collectors' favorites of the bel canto era such as Fernando De Lucia's wildly free 1908 version of "Ah! perché non posso odiarti" from La Sonnambula and Alessandro Bonci's 1905 "A te, o cara" from I Puritani, a virtual lesson in bel canto singing style despite the beat in the voice exaggerated by the acoustic recording technique.

Another version of that aria is on the second disc--Giacomo Lauri Volpi's classic 1928 recording, a comparatively straightforward version illustrating the difference between the earlier Golden Age style and the more objective Silver Age singers. Lauri Volpi's elegant singing and honeyed timbre throw into relief today's graceless, coarser style (Brass Age?). A welcome surprise is the inclusion of the young Cesare Siepi's 1948 Cetra recording of "Va ravviso" from La Sonnambula, his smooth, even tone and stylish delivery a reminder of what a great singer this Met mainstay of the 1950s was.

Not all of the selections are what you or I would have chosen but there's not a bad apple in this delectable bushel. There's considerable duplication here with Pearl's Bellini--The Supreme Operatic Recordings, a single-disc compilation that should suffice for opera buffs lacking the obsessiveness of dyed-in-the-wool historical collectors. Hard-core collectors already will have many of these selections since they're available on various discs that focus on a single singer such as Rosa Ponselle, whose 1929 "Casta Diva" from Norma, for example, is justifiably ubiquitous. Some people dislike compilation discs such as these, others love them. I'm among the latter group, especially when, as in this Bellini set, most of the big arias are accessible in two versions for ready comparison.

Preiser's transfers haven't been subjected to more than minimal intervention, so they're quite adequate if not up to the highest standards established by such historical labels as Marston, Romophone, and Naxos. This set is a welcome break from Preiser's minimalist production values: full track information now includes discographic details such as recording dates and original 78 catalogue numbers as well as track and disc timings. There are brief booklet articles about Bellini and defining bel canto, but no texts or translations, singers' bios, or career information.

--Dan Davis