"Although Solti recorded outstanding versions of Aida and Falstaff in the 1960s, in later years he neglected Verdi in his recording programme, so that the warmth and tenderness of his reading of Otello as well as its incisive sense of drama take one freshly by surprise. The recording is bright and atmospheric to match... the very finest quality is the singing of Margaret Price as Desdemona, a ravishing performance, with the most beautiful and varied tonal quality allied to deep imagination. Carlo Cossutta as Otello is not so characterful a singer but, more than most rivaks, he sings with clear, incisive tone and obvious concern for musical qualities. Gabriel Bacquier gives a thoughtful, highly intelligent performance as Iago. The Decca recording has a sense of spectacle (notably in the opening scene) and perspective which is particularly appealing, the whole production managed with Ray Minshull"s characteristic flair." - The Penguin 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.