Jeff Grossman wrote:

>I'm looking forward to attending my my city's production of Puccini's
>_Tosca_ in May.  In preparation, I have been studying the score and the
>libretto, and I would like to buy a recording.
>
>Of course, you know what's coming.  I want to make sure whichever recording
>I do obtain is a good one.

Most recommendations will be for the Callas conducted by deSabata on EMI.
I concur.  It is one of the greatest opera recordings ever made.  BUT, if
you want/insist on stereo, this is mono. There a lot of Toscas in stereo,
but oddly enough, no real great ones to match that early Callas (though I
haven't heard them all).  Still, if it must be stereo--and stereo helps
with this opera--consider the Price/Karajan (originally RCA but now
London).  It was produced by John Culshaw and makes effective use of the
Vienna Philharmonic, though di Stefano is not the tenor here he was in
the Callas.  Taddei is great, though, if no Gobbi (also from the Callas).
I also like Tebaldi/Del Monaco, though the conducting isn't great.  I'd
probably want to hear this first if I were you: it's a bit ripe and heavy,
but I like that.  Avoid the later Callas, conducted by Pretre.  She was
way past her prime by this recording.  I'd also avoid Nilsson (because of
Fischer-Dieskau's unidiomatic Scarpia).  I never cared for the Colin Davis
or Rostropovich.  I don't know the others, though I have heard widely
varying reports on the Milanov conducted by Leinsdorf.  (I'm going to have
to hear that one some time.)

Roger Hecht