In their day, Meyerbeer’s operas set a new standard for Grand Opera, elevating the composer to the heights of fame. Over time, however, they have steadily fallen out of favor, in part because of a dearth of singers with the vocal charisma to command the foreground amid the spectacle. This performance offers precisely that quality, and the results are striking.

Montserrat Caballé, though best known as a bel canto specialist, reveals here a voice of astonishing size—an attribute not often associated with the bel canto style. Plácido Domingo proves a worthy partner, delivering a performance of searing intensity and admirable vocal security.