The raison d'etre of this release is obviously Rysanek's first Lady Macbeth in New York. There are other singers who negotiate some of the coloratura more handily, but few who bring such an animalistic thrill to the role. Her top soars, flattening anything in its path. At this point in her career she has no trouble with the D-flat at the end of the Sleepwalking Scene: she goes up, sits on it, and then swoops down the octave in a mournful wail: magnificent. But the great thing here is that Rysanek isn't the only one who's good. No one would call William Chapman a great Verdi voice. His voice is solid enough, but it's the fact that he's obviously thinking about what he's singing that is so impressive. Similarly, Gramm and McCollum are not naturals for their parts, but do so much with what Nature has given them. McCollum is heartbreaking in his aria, far more so than I've heard other, more naturally Verdian voices sound in this music. Gramm was always a fine actor and he brings specific, rather than generalized, colors to his aria.Some of the cuts are just silly (the recitative leading into Macbeth's first monologue), some designed to cut out a role (Malcolm); they are not as extensive as I expected. Tape damage spoils the opening prelude and the scene between the leads right after Lady Macbeth's "Vieni, t'afretta". Otherwise it's very listenable.Rysanek's fans should definitely get this, but also those who love the opera.

I was in the audience at this performance. Unforgettable. Actually, this group had done a performance a few weeks previously at Brooklyn College, which I also attended, so I knew what to expect. The Callas/Dallas/Bing blow-up was yet to come, so there was no expectation that a Met/Rysanek Macbeth was in the cards. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation and, in a few short minutes, Rysanek delivered. The audience let out audible gasps at the climaxes of Acts 1 and 2 as that ringing Rysanek top rode over soloists, chorus and orchestra. To anyone who, sadly, never saw or heard her live, even this recording does not do full justice to the size and impact of that voice. And, of course, it cannot capture the visually dramatic intensity that was to mark every Rysanek performance. But it comes close.

Of course I bought this issue for Leonie Rysanek! She delivers brilliantly - a great pre-cursor to her famous MET performances (and the LIVE version -on Walhall- is even better than the famous studio recording with the same principal cast).However, even though I have some 50 Macbeths in my audio-video collection (!) I am so impressed with William Chapman - looking up his biog. on Google, I am not surprised! Mr. McKee refers to 'beautiful phrasing and imaginative inflections', to which I would add a brilliant dramatic attack and complete identification with the character. Of course, at the time he was active -and after the death of Leonard Warren- the MET was juggling Robert Merrill, Anselmo Colzani, Cornell Macneil, Gabriel Bacquier (from 1964), Sherrill Milnes (from 1965) and Mario Sereni...no doubt someone will tell me who I have missed out! In this august company, Chapman simply didn't get a look-in, which is a shame because looking at today MET baritone roster...and you know what I'm going to say...For my final seal of approval -and ENO enthusiasts from the 1970s and '80s will understand this comment- William Chapman often sounds uncannily like the great Verdi baritone Neil Howlett...and I have no finer praise to offer than that!Don't hesitate - add this Macbeth to your collection - you will NOT be disappointed!

This performance marked the beginning of the New York public's love affair with Leonie Rysanek. And no wonder. She is in glorious voice and peak dramatic form, demonstrating that Verdi's desire for a she-devil sound from his "dama" is not irreconcilable with bel canto vocalism. But as much as the night belonged to Rysanek, you get a remarkably fine performance of "Macbeth" to boot. William Chapman is a sturdy, noble-sounding Thane of Cawdor, conveying a fine man undone by his conscience through a combination of beautiful phrasing and imaginative inflections. He ranks very highly among the Macbeths I have heard. David Lloyd is a sweet-toned Macduff, perhaps too light for the role, but Donald Gramm's aristocratic Banquo is all one could ask. Thomas K. Sherman understands and articulates Verdi's structures impressively. If you can endure some tape dropouts in the first act and the deep cuts that were mistakenly thought to "help" Verdi back then (as though he were some kind of idiot savant), a gripping rendition of "Macbeth" is your reward.