For a singer who defied classification throughout her long career, Teresa Stratas makes a compelling case, as Mimì, that she was a Puccinian through and through. Her phrasing is organically sensitive, and she knows precisely when to unleash the full warmth of her sumptuous soprano. Carlo Cossutta offers a wonderful mix of elegance and power as Rodolfo, while Maralin Niska, in the role of Musetta, steals a few scenes in Act II before delivering some truly touching moments in Act IV.