Finally, I must put in a word for the 1941 Cetra recording (a studio effort, not a broadcast). The cast: Caniglia, Stignani; Masini, Tagliabue, Pasero, and Meletti—a front-rank, all-Italian group. The conductor: Gino Marinuzzi, leading the RAI-Torino orchestra in an impetuous but controlled reading. Everyone knows what he or she is doing, and does it to the hilt. It’s very satisfying.

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NEXT TIME: Two productions remain on my seasonal calendar—a revival of the Anthony Minghella production of Madama Butterfly that initiated Peter Gelb’s General Managership of the Metropolitan Opera (if all goes according to plan, it will star Asmik Gregorian, highly praised in some challenging roles in Europe), and a new version of Carmen directed by Carrie Cracknell, which premiered earlier this season, and whose second cast struck me as more promising in prospect than the first lineup. Since those performances do not happen until April 30 and May 9, I think my target date will have to be Friday, May 24th. Meanwhile, I’ll be gathering some thoughts about what’s happened to operatic acting of late. But whether they will be together enough to offer before that date, I’d be foolish to predict.

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