"It is appropriate that the first recording of the first version of Forzashould come from St Petersburg, where the work had its premiere in 1862. However, whilst the premiere was predominantly an Italian affair, Gergiev"s set is given entirely by Russian artists. By and large, they fare splendidly, four of the five principals enjoying the weight of voice and command of the appropriate style to make their roles tell.Gorchakova evinces the weight of voice, also the broad sweep of tone and line, that her solos demand.Added to that there is a feeling for dramatic situation. "Pace, pace", for instance is suitably filled with foreboding, the lustrous, dark timbre recalling that of Ponselle - and there can be no higher praise... it is an interpretation of formidable achievement. Grigorian is an exciting Alvaro; no other tenor today, and few in the past, could fulfil the exacting demands of the part as easily as he does: the confident spintothrust in the voice is just right. He effortlessly rises to the generosity of phrase the role calls for and fills the many elegiac phrases with the feeling of melancholy they need. Grigorian finds a worthy adversary in Putilin"s Carlos... his refulgent baritone is just the instrument for Carlos and he breathes the right fire in his implacable hatred of his imagined enemy Alvaro. Borodina easily encompasses the high-lying (for a mezzo) demands of Preziosilla and sounds the right seductive and martial notes for the role. The minor parts are well done. Excellent recording - Gramophone Classical CD Guide. Batch two of Decca"s Opera Series, reissuing many of the greatest opera recordings of the last 50 years from Decca and Philips. This series re-establishes Decca as THE OPERA COMPANY. Original sleeve packaging. The complete libretto (offered in original language and translated into English, French, and German), is readable not only as PDF download but also via Amazon Kindle and the iPad.