This is an exciting performance. I love Cossutta and Caballe in their roles. Milnes is also worthy in his role. The performance moves nicely. My only quibble is the hiss in the background. Otherwise, voices are nicely placed and fine live sound.

This is an exciting, extremely well sung Trovatore. Everyone was "on" the night this was recorded. By 1975 Caballe could be a little blowzy on top, but here she surpasses herself, singing with elegance and refinement. She doesn't interpolate a D-flat at the end of Act One, but is very generous with high notes elsewhere. She also gives us one verse of "Tu vedrai", the usually omitted cabaletta to her fourth act aria. And her account of that aria is stunning. The normally sedate Covent Garden audience goes wild although it is curtailed here. Arkhipova gives us a tremendous Azucena and Cossutta is a passionate Manrico who also brings grace to a role that usually doesn't get it. This performance is famous in that Milnes joins Arkhipova on the penultimate B-flat, a thrilling effect. I doubt a singer like Shirley Verrett would have stood for it, but it's good to have one document of it (Milnes sang it in other performances too.) Milnes also contributes a melting "Il balen". Van Allen is a terrific Ferrando, one of the few who nails the gruppetti in his opening aria. Guadagno makes a few trims here and there, but plays more of the score than is generally heard.The sound is from a very good stereo broadcast. The tape has some noisy background crackle. It never obscures the music, but the Bella Voce label produced this set without the noise. That set is out-of-print so this set will have to do.

Sound good, performance very good. Milnes hits a b flat at end of opera, very impressive.

A good routine performance. Caballe started a bit lackluster, not fully warmed up yet. Di tale amor went some what better (no Db at end of act). She started to bloom in the convent, sailed through her 3 act 4 arias and was her passionate, brilliant self in the duet with Di Luna. It her a while to get there though. Arkhipova with her lean, slavic voice also could have used more passion. Cossutta, always reliable but could have used more squillo ping. Milnes came out blazing and sang the rest of the performance that way. Terrific. I wonder if he asked Arkhipova and Guadangno if he could interpolate his high Bb at the very end of the opera Guadagno's conducting could have been tighter

I was at this performance(Caballe cancelled the rest of the run,all were in top form,Archipova was a frightening Azucena,but vocally fantastic,Cossutta(a fantastic Manrico,Milnes gave a wonderful performance,as has been noted,he interpolates a high Bflat at the end,now for Caballe,why she cancelled after this performance I do not know,everything was in place,high Pianissimi et al.

Excellent trovatore,caballe astounding,arkipova intense,cosutto strong manrico,milnes in top form