For a live performance it sounds like a studio recording.

Radio Italiana's many "wrong language" broadcasts, running the gamut from "Die Meistersinger" with Giuseppe Taddei to "Khovanshchina" with Cesare Siepi enabled us to hear great singers interpreting roles with which we might not expect to encounter them. The aforementioned Taddei anchors this lively and shipshape performance of Bizet's Oriental fantasia, although his tone is sometimes loose and flanelly, at best in his Act 3 aria and always authoritative. No such qualms can be uttered regarding Alfredo Kraus, whose rendition of Nadir is ideal. If there's more one can ask of a tenor, I don't know what it is. Would that we could say that of Pina Margarini's Leila, whose acidic tone suggests Licia Albanese on an off day. She doesn't ruin the performance but when Nadir sings "Chantant, chantant encore" we are loath to agree. Carlo Cava makes a dignified high priest (roles of which made up the bulk of his repertory) and the tragic ending is used, with Zurga perishing at the hands of the villagers. It's 100 minutes of great fun and not to be missed.

Overall fine performance. Kraus is great but Margarini a little shrill. Sound is fine. I found much to enjoy in this performance. I did not have a problem with the performance in Italian. I'd say, go for it.

I’m older than I thought! …and a fanatical record collector since age 12 in 1948, especially of the Golden Age singers. Although I prefer the original language, I have heard this thing so often in Italian that it was only jarring to hear you say it was so! …and make no mistake, that’s Italian style and word emphasis here. Kraus, like Bergonzi, just got better and sounded more gorgeous over the years, so it’s good to be reminded that he was pretty darn good to begin with! It will be a hoot to have this performance in my collection along with Simoneau & Legay…

I have this performance from another source. I agree after several minutes the Italian language is no longer an issue. Kraus is a wonderful Nadir. I prefer Leopold Simoneau, but Kraus is right up there.