Birgit Nilsson is captured at her absolute peak, in arguably her greatest role. I had been operating under the assumption that the only tenor who could stand up to Birgit Nilsson, in the role of Calàf, was Franco Corelli. Bruno Prevedi proves me wrong, bringing ringing tone and sumptuous lyricism to the part. A young Mirella Freni delivers a sweet-toned Liù, while also managing the climaxes effortlessly. Gianandrea Gavazzeni favors a slower pace, which, rather than diminishing the dramatic momentum, gives the listener a chance to luxuriate in Puccini's harmonies and orchestration. Turandot's Act II solo "Figlio del cielo" is missing from this performance. At the end of the recording I have included a version of that number featuring Birgit Nilsson and Franco Corelli (the latter treats the audience to a superhuman high-C.)