Aside from a rarely opened cut in Act II, the main point(s) of interest for this revival are the two L's: Ludovic and Lotte. Ladies first, Lotte Rysanek often sounds uncannily like a lirico-spinto clone of sister Leonie. However, frequent recourse to glottal strokes and other crudities of vocal production give the game away. Ludovic Spiess never achieved stardom, despite what is here disclosed as a healthy, Italianate voice with sound interpretive instincts. His is an honorable Canio.A tonal colossus, Sherrill Milnes is in excellent voice, offering familiar virtues, along with some familiar vices as well. His Tonio is very red of fang and claw, perhaps the consequence of too much work with Zeffirelli. Nicola Mitic's Silvio fits in well, virile if not exceptional. The Beppe of Murray Dickie offers interpretive crudities of the sort one associates with showboating Italian tenors. Heard in unexpected repertory, Berislav Klobucar keeps the proceedings firmly in hand. The sound is average- to better-than-average in-house monaural.Beware: The opening chords of the prelude are afflicted with a crackle that damn near blew out my speakers.

This performance of Pagliacci finds the cast more rehearsed than we sometimes hear from these years at the Vienna State Opera. Sherrill Milnes gets things off to a good start by singing a stirring Prologue, complete with a long-held A-flat and penultimate high G. He doesn't disappoint in the rest of the performance either.Ludovic Spiess is a strong Canio, singing with steady tone and ringing high notes. Lotte Rysanek was always an excellent Nedda, passionate and confident in her singing. Nicola Mitic makes a handsome Silvio and Murray Dickie is a Beppe who sings his aria very attractively. Klobucar leads a satisfying performance.The sound is good though it sounds like the tapist had to move further back in Act Two because the voices become a little more recessed though still audible. The pitch of the tape source is correct too.