DONIZETTI: LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR - PONS, TUCKER, METROPOLITAN OPERA (2 CDS)

Sony Classical is delighted to offer lovers of singing another ten complete recordings from the RCA Red Seal, CBS/Sony Classical and Eurodisc catalogues. The latest instalment of this wide-ranging series not only features some of the greatest voices of the last century but also spotlights once popular works that have been unduly neglected in recent times. “Neglected” doesn’t apply to the oldest recording here, presenting a repertoire cornerstone of the Italian repertoire – Donizetti’s coloratura showcase Lucia di Lammermoor. At the Met, the title role was long associated with the delightful French soprano Lily Pons, who made her house debut as Lucia in 1931 and reigned over New York until her farewell stage appearance 28 seasons later, again as Lucia. She only recorded the part once, in 1954, opposite tenor Richard Tucker and with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra conducted by Fausto Cleva. That famous set, sounding better than ever, is now available on CD for the first time, remastered from the original analogue tapes.

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Lily Pons (Lucia), Richard Tucker (Edgardo), Frank Guarrera (Enrico), Norman Scott (Raimondo), Thomas Hayward (Arturo), Thelma Votipka (Alisa), James McCracken (Normanno)
Metropolitan Opera Association, Fausto Cleva