Christiane Eda-Pierre did a number of bel canto roles throughout her career though perhaps because she was from Martinique she was more closely associated with the French repertoire. Her Elvira is beautifully sung with that rich, but never strident voice that justifiably brought her acclaim. Her coloratura work is suitably dazzling and she ends the Act Two Mad Scene with a thrilling high E-flat. Kraus was always a fine Arturo and his famous high notes ring out here. He and Eda-Pierre give a passionate account of their last act duet. Massard is a solid Riccardo with strong high notes and Pierre Thau is an equally strong Giorgio. Their "Suoni la tromba" brings the house down. Gianfranco Tivoli leads effectively though the traditional cuts are annoying. Both Eda-Pierre and Kraus end the opera on a high D although the soprano does not sing the cabaletta the Sutherland and Bonynge made so popular about this time.The first part of "Son vergin vezzosa" is missing from the master tape, but we do get to hear the end of it with another great top D from our prima donna. If the sound isn't terrific, at least the voices are audible - the most important aspect of these recordings.A valuable addition to the growing Eda-Pierre "live" discography!

I enjoyed the performance, but the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired. The singers sound distant, there is a hiss throughout most of the recording and the sound is over-reverberant. I would rate the performance 4 stars, sound quality 2 stars.