Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera [The Masked Ball] (Complete opera recorded in 1967)

"In his second studio recording, Bergonzi is both impassioned and refined in what was, perhaps, his best and favourite role, He chuckles urbanely in the laughing song, declaims his love for Amelia with real ardour and laments giving her up with deep sensitivity and plangent tone. Price is still in finest, smoky, soaring voice, Verrett grabs the role of Ulrica by the throat in an astonishing display of vocal bravura, Grist remains the finest Oscar on record, sounding pert and boyish while deploying her bright soprano to impeccable effect in her roulades, Merrill repeats the Renato he gave Toscanini twelve years earlier but with even more depth of characterisation and emotional involvement and the splendidly fruity bass Ezio Flagello reappears as one of the two conspirators." (MusicWeb)