Il Trovatore/Verdi

Recorded in 1959, this recording embodies a particular profile of Verdi performance in America. Young, fresh, unaffected, dramatically alert Leontyne Price joins a more seasoned cast, including Richard Tucker (Manrico) in a performance so direct and unmannered that even his detractors might admire it. The great Leonard Warren portrays Count di Luna, and Rosalind Elias proves a lush voice can be menacing as the witch Azucena. The sound, production, and conducting by Arturo Basile is nothing glamorous, but the sincerity and directness gets more to the heart of Verdi than more posh recordings. --David Patrick Stearns