Listen to a Sample:

Despite her unique vocal quality, Josephine Barstow had little trouble selling herself in the great Italian "diva" roles.  (Even Karajan recognized her by hiring her to sing Amelia in Un Ballo in maschera.)   She manages to overcome the non-Italianate quality of her voice with the help of her rock-solid technique, her gifts as an actress and the spinto reserves  she could muster when needed.  All of these traits are brought to bear in this performance of Tosca.  Kenneth Collins is a robust Cavaradossi and Geofffrey Chard rounds out the cast as Scarpia.  A young John Tomlinson has a chance to get his feet wet in the role of Angelotti.  The sound is fair.  For the most part the English comes through aided, in part by the immediacy that these great singers bring to their diction.

OD 10640-2