On Walhall 0116; 1 CD; "I Pagliacci" is a tremendous opera, and here is a tremendous live performance with the legendary Giovanni Martinelli and Lawrence Tibbett!! Martinelli (in excellent voice) was clearly the successor in New York to Caruso, and Tibbett (here in his superlative prime) was the first in a line of stunning twentieth century American baritones stretching to the present day. Hear them both in top form, supported by a reasonably strong cast (including a young George Cehanovsky -- hear why he was so highly regarded in the thirties and forties in supporting lyrical baritone roles). The verismo expert, Vincenzo Bellezza conducts. The sound may be on the scratchy side, but it is eminently listenable and this performance is definitely worth hearing!!!! Another thought: You may ask yourself why is the premier Pagliacci more than 70 years old? Here"s the reason why. A survey of Pagliacci recordings listed this performance as the top choice for this opera. People talk dismissively about "those crackly old records." Here it is the stage that crackles -- with energy. The charge runs through orchestra and chorus. And never mind about the recording being old; it is uncommonly vivid. The feeling of the house is itself part of the show, another layer to the play-within-the-play. At the center are two towering individual performances, Martinelli"s Canio and Lawrence Tibbett"s Tonio. Tibbett combines the gusto of old-time theatre with some rare refinements of the vocal art, and he is in magnificent voice. Martinelli sings as in a slowly consuming fire, his arioso a nobly sustained utterance in which Leoncavallo"s music realizes most completely its capacity for tragic intensity. Nor should Queena Mario"s Nedda pass as overshadowed. She too makes the part live dramatically, and her light, pure voice is skillfully used, in a way worthy of her teacher, the great Marcella Sembrich. This classic performance belongs in every collection devoted to great singing!