Mignon Dunn is stunning in this performance, sings it like a movie star part, deep, rich, immediate! Tucker is a very great Samson! There's nothing to quibble about here and of all the Samson and Dalilas out there, this is perhaps the strongest, even better than the much-lauded Rita Gorr and Vickers. OK, not the greatest opera ever, but if you want to hear what this old warhorse SHOULD sound like, this is the recording for you.

Samson et Dalila is considered a guilty pleasure opera, one in which I love to indulge. Tucker sings extremely well with ringing top notes and a great sense of line, rarely indulging in the mannerisms that affected his singing in the latter part of his career. Dunn is a powerhouse as Dalila (she always was). Her top is thrilling, the low notes sexy, the middle voluptuous. Full disclosure: she's one of my favorites!Schwartzman sang at the NYCO a lot and for good reason (he sang Michele opposite Sills when she did all three soprano roles in Puccini's Trittico.) He was a fine singer and is a memorable bully as the High Priest. Moscona gives us a well-sung Old Hebrew with a properly sepulchral low E. Moresco leads a fiery performance, one that isn't ignorant of French style.The voices have that hollow, in-house sound that live opera collectors will be familiar with, but the pitch of the tape is correct and the voicesare always audible. Tucker and Dunn fans should snap this up!