Description:

Australians certainly had good reason to be proud on the occasion of this performance of Tosca as it featured two homegrown singers delivering world-class performances, Marie Collier and Donald Smith. Collier’s Tosca delivers all the requisite fire while conveying a fragility and insecurity to the nava that gives her an interesting human dimension. Donald Smith doesn’t bring the refinement Collier, but he does supply a burly tenor with excellent vocal control and legato. Tito Gobbi’s Scarpia was pure genius. He knew exactly how to balance the character’s suave exterior against the inner sadist. Carlo Felice Cillario’s tempos seem a little on the safe side, but that may have been out of consideration for the orchestra which is lacking in technical skill. The sound is good.

In Mono.

BONUS:
Donald Smith sings Puccini

OD 11394-2