Of course, Renata is the real star, but the whole thing is a delight. I had not known the piece prior to listening to this recording and now I'm convinced I need to know it better.

Excellent sound wonderful performance from Renata Scotto

I used to have this performance on vinyl years ago, but lost it in one of my many moves. It was nice to hear it again. The sound is fairly clean and the cast is quite good. The big draw, of course, is Scotto, who at the time was soon to move away from Bellini and Donizetti toward Verdi and some decidedly heavier roles. Here she is still in excellent form and much of her performance is exciting. I have never heard nor seen any other performance of this opera, so I gave it 4 stars mainly because I have no point of comparison. Service from the provider was prompt and excellent.

Zaira was not a great success for Bellini, and from this distance it's hard to see why. Much of the music could easily take its place among the best pages of Puritani and Norma. Obviously Bellini thought well of it, as much of the music, found its way into his later and successful opera I Capuleti and Montecchi, and some into Norma. Certainly there is much that adumbrates or seems to have been reworked for Norma in particular.The love interest, if one can call it that, here is unconventionally between soprano and bass: A moslem Sultan in marrying Zaira a member of his harem!! Perhaps that was the problem. The sultan here Luigi Roni. He is a good , big bass but not romantically convincing.Of the few pretenders to the crown of Maria Callas, only one soprano could be said to have worn it: Renata Scotto. She possesses that inmate skill to turn stock operatic heroines into real flesh and blood. Already though in the early 70's her top notes were becoming harsh.The excellent mezzo Maria Luisa Nave sings the trouser role of Zaira's brother. The sound is very good.Bonus tracks from La Strainer show Scotto in better voice.