[On the original release in 1956] under Perlea, the orchestral playing is firm and dramatic, well balanced with the voice. The music is well paced. Björling’s tone is a constant pleasure. He sings elegantly. Merrill, too, is in fine voice: he sings the title rôle in correct and often impressive style… in short, this performance with Metropolitan stars offers an able, and therefore enjoyable performance of the opera.

Naxos have made an excellent transfer of one of the earliest mono LP recordings of Rigoletto dating from June 1956. The set is mainly of interest for Jussi Bjorling's contribution

A tiny bit of crackle on the recording is a small price to pay for the glories of Jussi Björling's swaggering, open-toned Duke, Roberta Peters's sweet and steady-toned Gilda and Robert Merrill's imposing Rigoletto on this 1956 recording from Rome, masterfully paced by Jonel Perlea.