This Forza serves as a great opportunity to hear some great singing from singers who, although beloved in their day, left very few documents. Gilda Cruz-Romo is an ideal Leonora, alternating effortlessly between the lyric and dramatic passages. When he began to move into heavier repertoire, Franco Bonisolli's voice began to lose its youthful sheen, but he makes up for it with some very exciting, and seemingly effortless singing. Kostas Paskalis is an elegant Don Carlo. Cesare Siepi brings warmth and gravitas to the role of Guardiano which serves as an excellent foil to Sesto Bruscantini's hilarious Melitone. Riccardo Muti reveals an innate sense for the pacing of Verdi and manages to suffer the indulgences of the singers that he would later overrule (to the detriment of the performance, in my opinion.)

BONUS:
Franco Bonisolli sings excerpts from Tosca and Madama Butterfly