''Full of life, musical colour and emotion, yet incapable of a satisfactory production except perhaps in symbolica terms, I lombardi surely emerges as an ideal opera for the gramophone record, for the theatre of the mind.'' Thus spake the producer in his note for the booklet accompanying the original LP issue. He was right, no doubt, in so far as there do seem to be formidable difficulties in the way of successful stage production. But I'm not convinced that the opera is likely to enjoy a very long run in the theatre of the mind either, for the music is too uneven to give more than intermittent satisfaction. The First Act promises well and turns out to be much the best. After that, apart from the famous trio, nothing quite rises to the point of inspiration, and a good deal of it sinks into banality. The character of the villainturned-hermit appears to have interested Verdi less than his central position in the libretto would signify, and there are none of those duets which so frequently quicken his creative abilities because of the moving nature of the human relationship involved. One imagines, too, that in practical terms a factor working against regular performance in the past has been the restrictions of the principal tenor role. Not only is Oronte absent from the First Act but he is dead by the last scene (though briefly singing in spirit from off-stage). Moreover, to add insult to injury, the second tenor has the effrontery to survive him and take part in a further trio on his own account.
The young Domingo, singing with a rich, throaty lustre, makes a good job of what he has to do (and no exhibitionism or excitement—through additional high notes in ''La mia letizia''). The second tenor, Jerome Lo Monaco, presents a suitable contrast, with his lighter, reedier tone. The soprano part is difficult to cast, for it wants dramatic weight as well as the agility of a virtuoso and an extensive upper range: Cristina Deutekom copes well with the tessitura but her somewhat tremulous tone gives limited pleasure. Raimondi, on the other hand, is heard in one of his finest performances on record, the opulent resonance being spread evenly throughout the whole voice and his characterization showing imaginative involvement. The chorus work is strong, and Gardelli leads the orchestra in a wellplayed, finely recorded account of the score.'