When this 1956 recording of Rigoletto was first released in Britain, The Gramophone reviewer commented: “under Perlea, the orchestral playing is firm and dramatic, well balanced with the voice. The music is well paced. Björling’s tone is a constant pleasure. He sings elegantly. Merrill, too, is in fine voice: he sings the title rôle in correct and often impressive style… in short, this performance with Metropolitan stars offers an able, and therefore enjoyable performance of the opera”. Jussi Björling and Robert Merrill can also be heard together in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci (Naxos 8.110258) and Puccini’s Manon Lescaut (Naxos 8.111030-31).