“One of the Met's nights of stars, with a comparatively trim Pavarotti in great voice; only Leona Mitchell slightly below par. The sets and the playing are almost too sumptuous for this early raw work.”
New York Times
“A quartet of major voices was on hand to fill the leading roles... Naturally, they gave fans of sheer vocalism a great deal to cheer about during the evening... Mr. Pavarotti gave a splendid full-throated performance... He was also a sensitive partner in the many ensemble numbers... Miss Mitchell filled the house gloriously... Mr. Milnes was a dominating force... Mr. Raimondi gave his usual solid performance, musically and dramatically... James Levine's conducting had plenty of passion and momentum”
2010 edition
****
“While all four solo performances are superb, one has only to sample the finale to Act I to discover what an electrifying team they make...If Pavarotti dominates by the sheer ardour of his singing, overall this is a totally gripping performance, unlikely to be surpassed on DVD.”
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