I am not giving the five stars because of the missing fragment in the scene of Azucena's confrontation with the Count of Luna. Nevertheless I appreciate Opera Depot addition of Azucena's missing aria as a bonus. The sound is good and the singers great.

The raison d'etre for this release is surely the Leonora of Sylvia Sass. The one-of-a-kind Hungarian soprano got to record a number of early Verdi operas in the studio as well as Don Giovanni and Medea and a number of recitals for various labels. Her accounts of Trovatore and Traviata however went unrecorded so we're in Opera Depot's debt for making these available.And she is an excellent Leonora too at least as recorded here before the stress of doing too much too soon began to show in her singing. She has the full Verdian line and shows plenty of passion and imagination. Though she elects not to end Act One with an interpolated D-flat she does sing the optional one in her Act Four aria and another interpolated one in the concluding cadenza, both very beautiful. She is a truly a Leonora worth fighting over.Dunn is a gutsy Azucena who has the high notes and trills for her music. She probably was thrilled to have a lead and not be buried under all the comprimario roles the Met gave her. Lamberti would most likely be a much more important singer now than he was when this recorded. His diction is excellent and he sings with lyricism and grace. Sardinero is an excellent Di Luna, Ferrin a far above average Ferrando. The sound is recessed, but the voices can be clearly heard. The big problem is the tapist who can't seem to sit still, bumping around until one wants to shake him. Sass fans must hear this though; one can understand why she was considered so special.