La Fanciulla Del West is Puccini"s most sophisticated score: a slightly different flavor of opera than we"re used to from the composer of La Bohème and Manon Lescaut, but one that shimmers and affects in a new, sometimes startling way. The soprano role of Minnie is brutal--she has to be a sort of Puccinian Valkyrie--and few sopranos make the grade. Renata Tebaldi recorded it commercially in 1958, but this performance, taped live in 1961, shows her more involved and in equally fresh voice, jumping the huge, high-note-hurdles with relative ease and able to lighten her voice when need be. Daniele Barioni copes well with Dick Johnson"s music, singing heroically and convincingly, and baritone Giangiacomo Guelfi"s snarling, dangerous Jack Rance is properly nasty in a mustache-twirling way. You still wouldn"t want to be without the Deutsche Grammophon recording with Neblett, Domingo, and Milnes and with Mehta in the pit, but this set is galvanizing and highly recommended. Tebaldi at her peak--super! --Robert Levine