This set appeared in its complete form only in the United States. Perhaps RCA felt in 1959 it couldn't stand comparison with its own, earlier issue (Milanov, Bjorling, Cellini) or with the Columbia/EMI (Callas, di Stefano, Karajan). Although it certainly isn't quite in that class, it is certainly worthy of appreciation. It represents what you might have heard on a good night at the Metropolitan during that period, with five of the ranking singers then active. Sadly it proved a farewell for its most notable component, Leonard Warren, the Luna, as he was to die, far too young, the following year. He was a fine Luna on the Milanov version, but here he surpasses even that performance with singing of the utmost refinement. ''Il balen'' is sung as though it was a dreamy love-song, in a tender half-voice with a perfect line, and the sense of expectancy in the succeeding cabaletta is just right. Again, the Fourth Act duet has the presence of a real character in Luna, not a cardboard singer. It is true that by this time the vibrato was loosening, but that hardly matters when such a personality is presented to us with such subtlety.
Although the other singers are in fresher voice than Warren, none matches his performance as an entity. In the first of her Leonoras, Leontyne Price sings in an uninteresting, faceless manner, hardly helped by her often opaque tone; against that must be set the opulence and vibrancy of the sound and the security of the technique, trills and all. Elias tries hard to inject character into Azucena's music, but the voice is hardly Italianate or rich enough for the role; still, one has to admire the good intentions of an honest trouper. Tucker is stylish and musicianly as in his other Manricos, but in the studio he is less involved than for Schippers live at Florence (Nuova Era/New Note). Tozzi is a reliable rather than inspired Ferrando.
Basile is to be applauded for his energetic, buoyant conducting but not for the cuts he permits in the score (most heinous of which are the Leonora/Manrico marriage duet and Leonora's second cabaletta, ''Tu vedrai''), though one has to admit that some occur in the Cellini and Karajan versions. The recording isn't very well focused and there is a good deal of distortion, probably on the original tape. I think preference has to be given to any of the three mono sets listed above, whose various merits have been well documented in these pages. If you want more up-to-date sound try Davis (Philips, 8/90) or Mehta (RCA, 8/88).'