I may be in the minority, but I've always found Giordano's Fedora to be a superior work—even more compelling than the composer's better-known Andrea Chénier. The score is bold, melodramatic, and surprisingly inventive, evoking its shifting European locales with vivid musical flair. More than anything, it is a prime vehicle for a singing actress, and Renata Tebaldi seizes the opportunity with fire and commitment in this 1961 performance.

Tebaldi is in blazing form, fearlessly embodying Fedora's anguish and singing with impressive vocal freedom. She is matched beautifully by Giuseppe di Stefano, whose voice, though beginning to show some wear, remains peerless in its passion and expressive immediacy. Mario Sereni and Sofia Mizzetti contribute strongly in supporting roles, and there's a charming cameo from comprimario favorite Enrico Campi.

and bright, though there are a few brief moments where audio from another source appears to have bled through during the tape transfer.