Dorothy Kirsten, mistress of unforced sound and vocal longevity, is glorious in this performance. Tosca was always a fine fit for her as a singing actress. In the third act her vocality is incandescent. James King is his usual stentorian self. Highly recommended, and clear sound.

It was so easy to take Dorothy Kirsten for granted. Her technique was so secure that she made everything sound easy without hurting her voice. Here she is at 59 (or so), the voice steady and free, the top pinpoint accurate. Her Tosca is more than competent although one won't mistake her for Callas or Tebaldi. She knows the routine of the role well and gives dramatic accounts of all the "big" moments. In fact, she does Tosca's final moments more convincingly here than elsewhere. One quick anecdote: after seeing Callas as Tosca Kirsten reportedly shrugged and said "I don't know what the big deal is; she doesn't do anything I don't do!"King is an excellent Cavaradossi with ringing top notes and Ausensi a good, if unremarkable Scarpia. The supporting cast includes Andrew Foldi as the Sacristan. Guadagno leads a professional, if a little hit-or-miss, performance. Except for a few minor glitches, the sound is very good. Given the cast I suspect this recording is from the Philadelphia Lyric Opera though I may well be mistaken.Tosca lovers should have Kirsten in at least one of their recordings - this is a good one!