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For this cast of seasoned dramatic singers, returning to their native English must have been a welcome respite from the demands of German and Italian repertoire. Marie Collier, Astrid Varnay, and Richard Cassilly were all renowned for their acting abilities, but in this excellent English translation, their natural inflection allows their performances to be appreciated in a fresh and compelling way.

Marie Collier masterfully conveys the transformation of the title character. She sings with youthful charm in the first act, adopts a detached quality in the second, and blossoms into a fully realized woman in the third, making the journey both vivid and affecting. Astrid Varnay is a formidable presence as Kostelnička, capturing both the character’s strength and underlying insecurity with striking intensity. Richard Cassilly is near-perfect as Laca, his warm tone serving as a reminder that, despite his actions, his character is ultimately good at heart.

John Lanigan, however, seems somewhat overwhelmed as Steva, even having to sing down an octave at one point to get through. That said, the entire cast delivers impeccable English diction, and under Rafael Kubelík’s baton, the performance is deeply moving.

OD 10586-2