This is an interesting case. Caballé and Pavarotti recorded this work in the studio the year before under Peter Maag (for my review type Q6485 in Search Reviews), and the results there and here are just about the same. Caballé again is somewhat slovenly early on, and her very highest notes are not always happy, but she’s very much “in” the role and that remarkable voice is indeed marvelous. Pavarotti is even better here, the voice simply gorgeous with a sheen that is unmatchable, and the live venue seems to perk him up even more. Cappuccilli is a match for Milnes, singing without the latter’s class, but with even more ringing voice. Carlo Zarda is a good-enough Count Walter; Carlo del Bosco is somewhat better as Wurm. Bruna Baglioni’s Federica is just awful: she sings with a ghastly tone and skips even the most rudimentary niceties in her short role. Gavazzeni leads a very exciting performance, but his forces don’t have the polish of Maag’s, and of course the sound is not as good as Decca’s. With the Decca available at a bargain price, this one isn’t really necessary.
