This is another elegant operatic release from Melba Recordings, and is of special interest for the opera buff with its highly varied collection of 18 entrancing arias from little-known French and Italian operas from 1850 to 1920. This is a field of opera that has always had an attraction for Bonynge, and here he has a willing collaborator in Australian soprano, Elizabeth Whitehouse, who over the past two decades has established a considerable international reputation, and has recently featured in some memorable performances for Opera Australia.
The recording was made with the Hybrid SACD multi-channel surround sound system which has been so notable in the highly-acclaimed recent Melba Ring recordings, and in this collection of operatic gems both orchestra and voice are captured with a tonal quality of high-fidelity and notable beauty.