Uniqe!! Not only in Italy..Vienna..etc!!

This is one of those recordings that demonstrates why live recordings, warts and all, are so often much more memorable and exciting than studio recordings. None of the soloists are flawless; it simply doesn't matter because they so passionately convey their characters and what the work is about.Tebaldi is in splendid voice (barring a few phrases in "Madre, pietosa vergine" where it sounds like she sings some wrong notes). "Pace, pace" is to die for; I was only a little disappointed that whoever recorded this edited out most of the thunderous ovation that followed. She is heartbreaking throughout and shows why she was La Tebaldi. Di Stefano is also terrific. Roles like this did his essentially lyric voice no favors, but his big aria in Act Three is incredibly moving and exciting - no wonder the audience goes wild. People used to complain about Protti. While he may not be the most imaginative baritone, he certainly knows what he's about and delivers a Carlo that would earn him raves today. Modesti and Capecchi are wonderful as the clergymen and a singer new to me, Marta Perez, is a very fluid Preziosilla with excellent top notes. Votto conducts like Verdi is whispering in his ear.The sound, a few glitches from the mastertape aside, is excellent. Every Verdian should hear this performance.

All your imagined superlatives apply to Tebaldi’s Leonora. Anyone who says or thinks she was no actress must hear this performance. Other favorite tenors have sung Alvaro beautifully elsewhere, but not one approaches what Di Stefano achieves here! You may never hear “O tu che in seno agli angeli” in another voice. Protti may not have the vocal allure of his co-stars, but he sings with consistency and ease, worthy of the company. Modesti’s Guardiano lacks charisma, and seems small scale. Capecchi is superb; he owns Melitone! Marta Perez has a darkish lyric sound, and tosses off a tasteful Preziosilla. Silvio Maionica (uncreditied) sings an excellent Marchese di Calatrava. Votto and the orchestra of La Scala give the best of themselves to Verdi. Sound very good.

Great!

Although Di Stefano had one of the most beautiful lyric voices of the century, he was a famous Alvaro, a fairly hearty undertaking for a lyric tenor. There are to my knowledge three live recordings of his FORZA extant along with his studio recording of 1959. This performance I think is his best, his voice in it's early glorious state, with his signature dramatic commitment (sometimes perilously so). For once Alvaro actually sounds as if he is dying in the famous duet.The Leonora is Renata Tebaldi who makes golden ringing sounds and is touchingly vulnerable. Aldo Protti was a La Scala house baritone and made a number of recordings for Decca without any particular distinction. His was a reliable powerful voice which lacked the mellifluousness of many of his contempories. The famous buffo bass baritone Renato Capecchi here at times is a little more buffo that bass and, Giuseppe Modesti is a warm if not particularly imposing Guardino. The usual cuts are taken. The sound is very good

I have listened to this twice since receiving, in jaw-dropped awe.Sound is a bit hard, but very clear.I thought the Florence of 1953-Tebaldi, del Monaco etc. or The San Carlo 1958-Tebaldi, Corelli, were the ones,but now I am not so sure. Here Tebaldi is awesome,and Protti in glorious form. I had forgotten how beautiful the di Stefano voice was, before it was ravished by roles such as this.However it