Puccini: Manon Lescaut

When this set first came out in 1988, it was easy to dismiss as another attempt to cash in on the excitement over the luscious voice and questionable artistry of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. But what sometimes sounded like sight-reading in the studio now seems an aristocratic version of Puccini's greedy, beautiful, riches-to-rags Manon. Though critics then complained about the premature darkening of Carreras's voice, he sounds splendid compared to his current vocal state. And Riccardo Chailly, once the paragon of corporate music-making, now seems intelligently restrained. However, if you really want a more dignified version of this story, it might be best to turn to Jules Massenet's more Gallically poised opera on the same subject. To some minds, Puccini performers must break a sweat, at least at some point. --David Patrick Stearns