Bellini: I Puritani

All our books are brand new. We ship worldwide

Sutherland's second recording of I Puritani is a substantial step beyond her first, thanks largely to the excellent cast assembled around her and to Richard Bonynge's growth in power and subtlety as a conductor. Her voice was still at or near its peak when she made this recording, and her verbal (as contrasted with purely vocal) skills had grown. Still, her mad scene, heard immediately after Callas's, comes cross as more pretty than dramatic. On the other hand, the ensemble singing in this performance is superb. --Joe McLellan