I have always liked this opera and also always liked Leyla Gencer. With Shirley Verrett as well, this makes for a powerful double billing and a great performance. As a previous reviewer mentioned, the last track on Disc 1 is faulty, but this is no problem, Thank you Opera Depot! Your remastering of these discs is bringing new life to the old opera performances.

Transferred from some rather scratchy LPs (those pirate recording pressings we're usually made with the poorest vinyl), this performance makes one glad some intrepid person recorded this concert. Caballe can be heard in a number of performances of this opera dating from this one (1967) up until 1979 or so (I can think of at least five offhand). Verrett is the Elisabetta on the famous Gencer pirate from earlier in the year. Both ladies are in top form. I agree with Andy (see above) that of the two Verrett is the more memorable with her withering sarcasm and sheer vocal allure. Caballe is great (especially in the final scene) and in her freshest voice, but her later performances are more detailed and specific.Nevertheless any Caballe fan should have this. The men are excellent as well. A pity the Anna goes unnamed as she is very assertive and has a good voice too. Cillario drags his feet here and there, but overall he leads his forces with musicality and aplomb.The sound is excellent with the two leading ladies right on mic. Occasionally one of the soloists is a little off to the side, but it doesn't get in the way of enjoyment. As mentioned earlier there is some LP surface noise and some lengthy scratches on what was probably side five of the set (Act Three, scene two). People who are nostalgic for LPs will probably love it.

Wonderful recording of the first Maria Stuarda of Caballé.The sound is incredible clear!Cillario´s direction is not so special, too slow and sometimes slapdash, but the voices of Verret and Caballé are simply beautiful!The preghiera in the last act is really touching...

I had yet the performance of the Scala in the seventies with the same two queens : Montserrat Caballé and Shirley Verret. Having this of 1967 and directed by Cillario !!!!! Thank you so much for that recording !!!!!They are divine.

I would have given it 5 stars had it not been for the over zealous prompter. Also, the intermittent scratching on some of the tracks was distracting. I'm a great fan of both divas and it was a joy to hear them together in action. (The insert doesn't state where the performance took place.)

The gorgeous voices of Verrett and Cabelle make a perfect blend; "Peaches and cream" as the combination has been described.Verrett to whom belongs the first act, as Elizabeth brings a marvellous sense of arrogance, and Cabelle's soft floating pianissimi make a touching and vulnerable Mary.Cabelle has the last act and some of the most beautiful music in this lovely score. It is in effect her mad scene, or rather one of her resignation, but very much mad scene form: beautiful reflective passages with sympathetic observations from the chorus.The two ladies show their metal in the middle act: the meeting of Elizabeth and Mary: Historic nonsense but operatic necessity. Mary's lover, the Leicester is well sung by the dramatically aware Edoardo Gimenez, although his rather dry sounding tenor is not helped by the often close miking in this concert performance in Carnegie Hall. Of the two performances of this opera with these two great singers available this is the rarer and harder to find.As to be expected from the concert performance the sound is excellent.