Most of us are familiar with Stratas' Mimi from the DVD of Zeffirelli's famous 1981 Met production. She was a miracle of strength and fragility and her voice, if a little ragged around the edges by that time, was still fully able to bring to life Puccini's simple, loving heroine. In this performance given 13 years earlier her timbre is darker and stronger, her characterization loving and passionate if without the subtext of impending mortality that made her later performances of the role so memorable. Cossutta sings very well as Rodolfo, perhaps not as poetic as some other portrayals, but always well within the character. He has a top, but it's not his glory (he transposes the big aria, but sings the written lower ending of "O soave fanciulla"). Fredericks and Niska are excellent as the other couple. Niska sings the written, but rarely performed, diminuendo on the top B at the end of her walz song. The other singers are all very characterful and sing with distinction. Herbert leads an enjoyable, even memorable performance with skill and precision, managing to keep his forces together when there probably wasn't a lot of rehearsal time.The sound is mostly good, the voices slightly recessed, but audible. There are a number of pops, splats, squeaks, and crackles from the original tape source, but except for a short portion in Act Four, these aren't too disturbing. Boheme lovers or fans of the singers should get this.