Katia Ricciarelli was only 27 when this performance was given, meaning that she was very close in age to the woman she portrays. Her youthfulness is an asset not only because there were no vocal issues at this time, but because there is an inner hopefulness that emerges from her shining voice, a quality that would unfortunately become eroded as she took on roles too heavy for her voice over the next few years. Her textual colors are not so specific as, say, Renata Scotto's, yet we believe she is this young woman who defied her family and had a child before marriage. Her top Cs are on pitch, steady, and held out to their full musical value. She is much more convincing here than she was in the studio recording made about this time; the final miracle would melt a stone.The often underrated Franca Mattiucci is a properly vindictive Aunt without going overboard into caricature. The important smaller roles are all sung and acted very well. Bartoletti not only conducts a moving performance, but also makes no cuts. The sound is taken from an in-house tape with the tapist sitting close enough to the stage so that the voices never sound swallowed up by the orchestra. There is some distortion during climaxes, but nothing that interferes with the listening experience.The bonus Boheme arias will make you want to hear the entire performance (also available from Opera Depot).