Joan Sutherland--Mad Scenes
Joan Sutherland is spectacular in these operatic selections, almost all  of which were recorded during her prime--between 1962 and 1971--when her voice  was at its freshest, and mannerisms such as sloppy diction and droopy phrasing  were at a minimum. The characters here depicted are tragically loony, permitting  the composers to lavish upon them coloratura fantasies that make for exciting  listening, but restrict the roles to the few singers who are capable of managing  the swirls and trills of the high tessitura. Sutherland reveled in these parts;  the more difficult, the better. It's impossible to select highlights in a disc  that's brimming with them, but her signature role,Lucia di Lammermoor, with  its flowing vocal line and ravishing soprano-flute duet, offers some of the most  exciting singing you'll ever hear; the top notes never strained, always full and  rounded. But, then, everything else on this indispensable disc is a delight.--Dan Davis