This week at Pristine we wind the clock back to 1952, and one of Maria Callas's earliest full opera recordings, taking the title role in Ponchielli's La Gioconda in a studio performance recorded at RAI in Turin for release on the Cetra label in Italy.
As with her later 1959 stereo remake for EMI, the conductor is Antonino Votto, though the supporting cast has changed. For many years this recording has suffered from its more limited sound quality - but now you can hear it afresh in this remarkably vibrant Ambient Stereo XR remaster from Pristine.
We are also celebrating the 150th birthday of Serge Koussevitzky, with a full 20% automatic discount on all his recordings for the coming week.
Pristine Classical
Callas's 1952 Gioconda
