Manon / Beverly Sills, Gedda, Souzay, Bacquier; Rudel
Beverly Sills's singing career is mainly remembered for herbel cantooperas and bubbly talk-show appearances. But the title role  ofManonwas one of her very finest efforts, and it's heard here in an  all-around excellent recording. Caught here in her prime, Sills's thrilling  singing technique illuminated her considerable theatrical mind with brilliant  clarity. So while this is a spectacularly sungManon, Sills also  maintains a sense of childlike delight that keeps the character's  greedier moments from becoming unduly repulsive. It's a great  performance. Her leading man, Nicolai Gedda, sounds a bit vocally aged,  but it's still Gedda (which is something). As Manon's father, the great  Gerard Souzay makes one of his few full-opera recorded appearances.  Conductor Julius Rudel leads a big, red-blooded, almost-Italianate  performance that's also alert to how incredibly well-wrought and  inventive this score is.--David Patrick Stearns