Recorded in l960, this CD exhibited the (then) young American soprano, Anna Moffo, at her most enchanting. The voice was a pure lyric with a lovely bloom at the top, fine coloratura ability, and a sometimes useful upper extension. She sang with charm and sincerity and a great deal of “face”–that nice trait that some singers have that allows us to sense their facial expressions just by hearing them. She is at her best here as Puccini’s Mimi, delivering the first act aria with just the right combination of sensuality and innocence, the same composer’s Liu (from Turandot), where she inflects her words nicely and makes us feel for poor Liu, and Gounod’s “Jewel Song”, truly glittering. Her coloratura essays are a bit dicier; she never gets past the showiness to reach our hearts, and the high E with which she ends “Bel raggio…” from Semiramide is a truly unhappy note. Having said that, her “Bell Song” is delightful. Moffo’s career just seems to have fizzled out and most of her recordings find her in less flattering voice: For those who want to know what her allure was (besides her great looks, that is), this nicely produced, well-led CD will be enough.
