It is fair to say that Magda Olivero was perhaps the greatest interpreter of Adriana Lecouvreur in its history — a distinction reinforced by the fact that Francesco Cilea himself urged her to come out of retirement in the early 1950s specifically to sing it. No one could manage the breathtaking crescendo from fil di voce to forte at the close of "Ecco, respiro appenna" quite like she could.

As for Giulietta Simionato, she proves a perfect foil for Olivero, bursting onto the stage for "Acerba voluttà" with a cascade of raw chest tones unlike anything heard since. And as if that weren’t enough, the cast also boasts a tenor by the name of Franco Corelli and a baritone by the name of Ettore Bastianini.