I'm very glad to have a document of Silja's Minnie - any role Silja sang should be documented. And she is in good shape here as far as I can tell. I say that because the voices here are quite distant. The ear adjusts: one can tell this is an honest, spirited performance in German, but any kind of subtleties are lost in the sonic void. Perhaps it would be more accessible if heard with headphones.Ilosfalvy and Janulko seem to be in strong voice and Mackerras shows again there was little he didn't conduct well. The frustration is all the greater then that we can't hear the voices more clearly. Furthermore there are tape jerks throughout the first and third acts that quickly become annoying.For Silja completists.

This 1976 performance of "La fanciulla del West" (in very clear sound) is a record of the only time the great Anja Silja sang the rôle of the heroine, Minnie. The singing-actress seemed to always relish a new challenge, and--without the semblance of an Italianate voice--she triumphs in the part, and is absolutely unique in her portrayal.Róbert Ilosfalvy will be best remembered by collectors as the title rôle in Beverly Sills' 1969 studio recording of Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux." Sir Charles Mackerras conducts that set, as well as the performance under review, where he leads an exciting account of Puccini's opera set in the Wild West.