This isn't the most refined performance of Puritani, but it is very exciting with some great singing along the way. Kraus is a splendid Arturo with his elegant phrasing and ringing high notes. He and Anna Maccianti don't transpose the "Vieni, fra queste braccia" duet in the last act and we are treated to some impressive high notes at the end. Kraus does not try the infamous high F, but no matter.Maccianti is not well-known in this country, but she was a leading Italian lyric coloratura of her time, performing mostly in Europe. She made several complete opera recordings for Deutsche Grammaphon (the Don Pasquale and Figlia del Reggimento were released on CD about a decade ago). She has a lovely Italianate timbre and excellent high notes. Her coloratura isn't as polished as it might be, but is more than adequate. Fioravanti is a lesser known, but very excellent Italian baritone who made a number of important recordings and films. He was as fine an actor as he was a singer (he is a sinister Scarpia to Olivero's Tosca in a 1960 RAI film). He sings beautifully here as does Lorenzo Gaetani as Giorgio. Their account of "Suoni la tromba" elicits cheers from the audience. The sound is good though there is some "ghosting" in Fioravanti's aria in Act One and elsewhere. A surprise bonus track on disc two gives us most of Verdi's Lombardi trio with Maccianti and an unidentified tenor and bass-baritone. It too is thrilling, but is cut off abruptly before the end. Sigh...