One of RCA’s great stars was the glamorous American soprano Anna Moffo, and one of her most celebrated Verdi roles is featured in this new release. From 1965, we have Moffo in the title role of Luisa Miller, “one of her best recordings” (MusicWeb International). The rest of the cast is no less distinguished: “Carlo Bergonzi is his usual, aristocratic self and also is in excellent voice. Cornell MacNeil is exactly right for Miller, the quintessential Verdi baritone role” (ClassicsToday).

Among Puccini's great operas, Madama Butterfly is the one that had reference recordings relatively later. Among them, the first to represent the most modern and innovative side of the composer was this stereo recording from 1957 edited by Richard Moore for the American RCA. It is indisputable that the fundamental interpretative approach was that of a great non-Italian conductor such as Erich Leinsdorf, who would later record all of Puccini's most important operas. Leinsdorf's interpretative modernity was magnificently assisted by the participation of a lyric soprano like Anna Moffo and an impeccable tenor like Cesare Valletti. After many years, and also thanks to the splendid quality of the recording, the production of Butterfly remains among those of absolute reference.