Carlo Maria Giulini’s celebrated studio recording of Le nozze di Figaro was recorded in September 1959 following a live performance at the Royal Festival Hall a few days earlier. Nearly 18 months later on 6 February 1961 there was another RFH performance but with a substantially different cast from that on disc. Only two roles – the Countess (Elisabeth Schwarzkopf) and Antonio (Piero Cappuccilli) – were sung by the same artists.

Harold Rosenthal in Opera magazine wrote following the concert performance: ‘Giulini’s reading of this miraculous score has deepened since the studio recording (1959)...the spark that was suddenly kindled between conductor and Teresa Berganza in ‘Voi che sapete’ was a moment to treasure. Indeed all Miss Berganza’s singing was outstanding.’

Rosenthal went on to praise Elisabeth Söderström’s Susanna, who ‘sang with much delicacy’ and whose ‘stage presence was delightful’. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was ‘ever the accomplished artist’, while Fernando Corena ‘sang with wit and point, making Figaro a rather more loveable creature than he sometimes is’. Ernest Blanc’s Count delivered his big aria ‘with dramatic point’.

George Hall in his booklet note praises Giorgio Tadeo’s grand Dr Bartolo, Edda Vincenzi’s ‘suitably hale and hearty’ Marcellina and remarks that Hugues Cuenod ‘delivers a gossipy Dr Basilio and - equally traditional – a stuttering Don Curzio’.

As for Giulini: ‘his performance is a distinctly memorable one...despite the numerous changes in our perception of period style in the last 60 years, and on his still much-admired Don Giovanni, the conductor continues to impress as a master Mozartian’.

This release has been sourced from the Richard Itter archive of ‘live’ BBC recordings. The collection is very important for collectors because it has never been on the market before. Following the archive’s launch in October 2017 with successive releases featuring Beecham, Böhm, Cantelli, Casadesus, Karajan, Menuhin, Monteux, du Pré, Klemperer, Rostropovich and Walter, it has received universal praise from both the classical media and record collectors for the excellent sound and performances.

Cast:
- Ernest Blanc (Count Almaviva)
- Elisabeth Schwarzkopf (Countess Almaviva)
- Fernando Corena (Figaro)
- Elisabeth Söderström (Susanna)
- Teresa Berganza (Cherubino)
- Giorgio Tadeo (Dr Bartolo)
- Edda Vincenzi (Marcellina)
- Hugues Cuenod (Don Basilio)
- Hugues Cuenod (Don Curzio)
- Piero Cappuccilli (Antonio)
- Heather Harper (Barbarina)
- Gillian Spencer & Jay Hackett (Two Girls)