To devotees of vocal art, and in particular to those collectors of recordings of artists active in the last years of the 19th and early decades of the 20th centuries the name of Fernando De Lucia has epitomised what has generally become accepted as the ‘Bel Canto’ style. The selections chosen for this Compact Disc are sung in Italian, and show him in a number of roles he sang with distinction. Allowing for the downwards transposing of some items by a half tone, (or in one or two cases a whole tone), and the occasional open vowels to facilitate a penetrating tone, he demonstrates a remarkable ability to create effects that make the hearing of familiar arias, duet and songs seem entirely fresh.