This was a wonderful performance of an opera I had never heard of. Freni offered a touching portrayal.

Verdi claimed that La Cecchina was the first real opera buffa. Certainly Piccinni was one of the most acclaimed opera composers of his day and this is most famous work. After a joyous Mozartian overture, the delicacy and beauty of this m.usic continued to bring Mozart to my mind.The cast is a good one. Freni's lovely cleanly focused lyric soprano brings a beguiling ingenuousness to La Cecchia, the admirable buffo bass Sesto Bruscantini is Mengotto in love with her, and Rita Talarico is a bright expressive Sandria, in love with Mengotto. As the object of Cecchina's affections, Werner Hollweg's attractive youthful sounding tenor an ideal Marchese.Rolando Panerai is here too although his voice seems to have darkened by 1969, and much of his music to have vanished is the reduction of the three act version to two.The comings and goings of this simplistic plot can get a little complicated, but if you don't have a libretto or a good synopsis, sit Bach and enjoy the lovely music.The sound of this RAI broadcast is of studio quality.