I don't know what the source of this performance was, but it sounds like an early in-house tape given the slightly recessed quality of the voices. It may be an early house tape too. Either way this is a very well sung Turandot that was probably performed complete. I say probably because there are a few sections missing. The beginning of Act Two, scene two fades out and returns just before Turandot begins "In quests reggia" and the music after Timur's lament in the last act disappears though we do get the rest of the opera including the normally cut "Dal primo pianto". Some of the English translation is discernible, most of it is rather hazy.Shuard is terrific as Turandot as is the previously unknown to me Hans Kaart. He sings with beautiful, steady tone with a great top register that easily encompasses the optional top C on "No, no, principessa altera". What a tragedy he died so young! Collier is excellent. She is rushed by Pritchard through "Perche un di" in Act One, but gives melting accounts of her arias. The ministers are first-rate as is the Mandarin. Unfortunately, most of Altuom's part has been lost. Chorus and orchestra are lead well by Pritchard who shows again that Puccini wasn't really his thing.Turandot lovers will enjoy this as will fans of the singers.

He was a theatre and film actor as well as an opera singer. The only man ever to have played Shakespeare's Falstaff and sung Verdi's Otello apparently.

a fantastic performance,excellent cast

A fascinating document - the last ever performances in English at Covent Garden - and the last of finest production of Turandot with magnificent designs by Leslie Hurry who was an outstanding theatrical designer. Unfortunately there are a number of cuts - the traditional ones in the 1st scene of act two, but then everything between the end of that scene and In questa reggia; and everything between Liu's suicide and the end of that scene (none of this would have happened at the actual performance). But the whole of Alfano's duet (version2) is included so we do get the whole of Shuard's contribution and with Kaart and Pritchard the riddle scene is so thrilling the set becomes very desirable. A good trio of ministers, Collier not quite right as Liu (she was to sing her first Tosca the same season at Sadler's Wells). Kaart was a very fine performer and sang Calaf many times with Shuard at Covent Garden starting in Dec. 1958 on the occasion of Puccini's centenary. Unfortunately at this particular performance he and Pritchard disastrously part company in Non piangere Liu - bot otherwise he's in splendid voice. He was tragically killed in a car crash not long after these performances.