La Sonnambula (Complete opera recorded in 1957) [with arias by Cherubini & Spontini]

"The raison d'être of this set must be Callas. Hers was never a voice as sheerly beautiful as that of Sutherland or Sills but the compensations are many and it is a pleasure to hear in a role which makes no inordinate demands on her vocal technique beyond its capability. This Naxos re-engineering by Mark Obert-Thorn is, as always, sonically a great success and this bargain issue is worth buying from every point of view: economically, artistically and historically." (MusicWeb March 2009)

Visconti's sensational 1955 production of La sonnambula for La Scala, Milan, was revived and recorded two years later. As a girl, Callas had fallen in love with the rôle of Amina; as an adult it suited her voice perfectly, and her interpretation set a benchmark that few have equalled. Among the many highlights of Callas's profoundly satisfying performance is her cadenza for Ah non giunge in which she executes a remarkable diminuendo on a stratospheric E-flat, a feat unrivalled in the history of the gramophone. This is by any standards a classic recording.