Description:

Gwyneth Jones was at the zenith of her powers in 1974 when she sang this high-octane performance of Tosca.  Her high notes not only soar over the orchestra at times they seem to machete their way through it to thrilling affect.  This is not merely a  scream-fest and she pulls it back for an exquisitely phrased “Vissì d’arte.”  She is joined by Gianfranco Cecchele who sings with golden tones and the sinister Scarpia or Gabriel Bacquier.   Sir Charles Mackerras, hardly known as a conductor of Puccini, shows that he knows how to make the play work.  The sound is very good.

OD 10120-2