This is a very fine recording of DON CARLO with some interesting casting. Bumbry (magnificent), Gobbi (a little past his best but still formidable) and Christoff (Excellent) are familiar from a number of recordings but Ulfung and Collier are much less familiar and each is very interesting and satisfying. Very worthwhile checking out.

ONE NOTE:The Marziale is in the recording although there is a cut in in.I thought that it was worth pointing out as that section was always cut in the 60s so even having a fragment of it is a rarity from that era.

Hian excellent memorial to Marie Collier who died tragically when she was 44.As they are not credited on the label there are extensive excerpts from Manon Lescaut from (I think) a Covent Garden production in the late 60s with the Hungarian Robert Ilosfalvy as Des Grieux and Kertesz conducting proving he was no Puccini conductor. Also the Tosca Act 1 duet with Andre Turp(?) from Covent Garden.The “marziale” is not included but as there is an abrupt cut am I missing a track?

Apart from a couple of bad sound patches and some occasional harsh unpleasantness from Gobbi, this is a smashing, exciting performance. Collier soars, Christoff stands his Imperial ground with mid-career implacability, and there is the rare opportunity to hear Ragnar Ulfung, enough to develop a taste for his unique sound.