By the mid-1970s, Raina Kabaivanska had already ventured into some of the most demanding dramatic soprano roles, making her return to the role of Violetta an unexpected but rewarding choice. The risk is amply justified by a performance of remarkable depth and power. Without compromising the character’s inherent fragility, the vocal heft she brings imbues Violetta with a self-assured sense of agency, subtly recasting her from victim to heroine.

The other notable presence in the cast is the elegant Germont of Franco Bordoni, whose richly textured baritone serves as a reminder that this character is shaped more by societal conventions than by inate cruelty.