The 1961 recording of Rigoletto is the first of two in which Joan Sutherland sang the role of Gilda. Although the later cast – conducted by Richard Bonynge – was starrier with Pavarotti taking the role of the Duke, this earlier version is still favoured by Sutherland aficionados. ‘Sutherland is extraordinary’ wrote an Amazon customer. […]

This is a classic recording from 1968, of Leoncavallo’s one-act, grisly tale of ‘live’ murder during a village stage production. This is ‘verismo’ at its finest and most potent and the star-studded cast gives a thrilling, edge-of-the-seat performance.

Two murders, an attempted rape and a suicide, all packed into about a hundred minutes, makes for spellbinding drama. And this performance of highlights from ‘Tosca’ is just that, in one of Tebaldi’s early recordings for Decca.

This is Renata Tebaldi’s first (and more silvery) recording of ‘Madama Butterfly’ with some very strong singing from the supporting cast.