I enjoyed listening again to this well-prepared and comprehensive version of what I consider Gounod's most satisfying opera. I may have slightly underrated the performance of the principals in my original review, particularly that of Malfitano, who seems to me little behind the fine interpreters of Juliette from the past; she successfully presents the vulnerability and wonder of young love in her fragile yet controlled singing. Kraus, though he hardly sounds quite the youthful Romeo in timbre, makes up for any lack in that respect by the ardour and consideration of his singing.
The minor roles are all intelligently cast, mostly with native French-speaking singers. The exceptions, Murray and Quilico, both sing the language like the locals. Plasson's direction brings out both the vigour and delicacy of the writing, but the over-reverberant recording, typical of operas made in France, sometimes blows up the scoring unnecessarily. As I wrote before, the version given is exceptionally complete, and includes many passages usually omitted in stage accounts of the work, but avoids passages that Gounod appears to have rejected. The CD rescension seems to have more body and life than the LP equivalent. Track 5 of the second CD runs for ten minutes longer than the booklet allows for.'