Made in July 1951, at the same time as the equally acclaimed La Bohème (Naxos 8.110252-53) this recording of Madama Butterfly features one of the great lirico spinto sopranos of her generation, Renata Tebaldi. Although, at the time of the recording Tebaldi had not yet sung the role of Butterfly on stage, the richness of her tone and the effortlessly floated pianissimi are captivating. The conducting of Alberto Erede, who recorded extensively, is both attentive and sensitive but robust and dramatic where needed.