As we approach the holiday season, when most of us spend our hard
earned cash on cds, and the end of the millenium, I thought it might be
nice to reflect back on the opera recordings of the century and select
some definitive recordings.  My definition of said recording would be a
complete edition that offered superior musicianship, interpretation, even
casting, and generally reprensent the best of the repetoire and the prime
recording of the work.  I think that all picks should be based on informed
listening (not just what you've heard from your friends).  It would also
be interesting from those who believe that this creature doesn't exist.
IMHO, certain operas cannot be included in this list because of [major]
discrepencies in competing scores (Carmen, Boris Godunov to name two...)
Here are my picks (in no particular order):

1. Tosca with Callas/Gobbi/Di Stefano and De Sabata
2. Fidelio with Ludwig/Vickers and Klemperer
3. Lucrezia Borgia with Caballe/Kraus and Perlea
4. La fille du Regiment with Sutherland/Pavarotti and Bonynge
5. L'Elisir d'amore with Sutherland/Pavarotti and Bonynge
6. I Puritani with Sutherland/Pavarotti and Bonynge
7. Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Callas/Alva/Gobbi and Galliera
8. Elektra with Nilsson and Solti
9. Der Rosenkavalier with Schwarzkopf/Ludwig and Karajan
10. Simon Boccanegra with Carreras/Cappucilli and Abaddo

These are some of my favs, and it would be great to hear what others think.

Jonathan Knapp