I thoroughly enjoyed this one, although it was not special in relation to all the other superlative Toscas (especially the Callas one, and the other Domingo on DG). Raimondi is wonderful - properly dark, heavy and imposing, yet still radiating an impressive sense of control and evil cunning. His every phrase marks him as a villian, yet what a villain (musically speaking)! Domingo provides a workmanlike performance, suitably tender in the duets, yet heroic and youthful in his confrontation with Scarpia. However, he lacks the emotional engagement in his other DG recording. Malfitano is the weakest link. Perhaps she is making an ill-founded attempt to sing like Callas, to project raw emotional intensity through the voice, yet she fails signally in whatever she was trying to do. She screams, growls, produces at times horrible, animalistic sounds, and always lacks that artistic control Callas had over her character's emotions. One finds it hard to scrape together any sympathy for her tragic role, her 'visi d'arte' is breathy, punctured, and altogether demonstrates a stunning lack of vocal technique. Which she possesses, no doubt in fulsome quantities, yet she casts them all aside here in favour of an hysterically unbalanced performance.
Otherwise, the supporting cast are excellant, Zubin Mehta generally competent, and the orchestra properly attentive to the score. Yet, this is not a Tosca anyone should buy, unless for sentimental reasons ("In the settings and at the times of Tosca", as the CD cover puts it).
