La Tebaldi

La Tebaldi: Decca 430 481 - 2

In the 1950s and 1960s opera fans the world over would argue that Renata Tebaldi was the only serious rival to Maria Callas. Listening to this compilation CD by Decca, which arrived in the post today, one can see why. One can hear all the drama and passion of the music that Callas undoubtedly delivered, but to my ears there is none of the ugliness that was so often a characteristic of her voice.

There are some twenty two tracks on the two discs which were recorded between 1955 and 1968. The recordings are vivid and only a slight tonal thinness in certain tracks betrays their age. This is music with a high tingle quotient. Just listen to "Mamma Morta" from Andrea Chenier to hear what I mean. Wonderful stuff!