[Botha] gives what is mostly a fine account of the role of Giorgetta’s young lover Luigi, his tone vital and with a healthy ring at the top of the voice; but at times there is a suggestion of containment…But the real stars of the disc are the high-quality orchestra, which brings both definition and rich, subtle tonal colours to the score, and the conductor Bertrand de Billy, whose sense of atmosphere and line allow him to convey with conviction the ebb and flow of Puccini’s concentrated masterpiece.

Bertrand de Billy conducts with a full-blooded approach and supports his excellent cast. Elza van den Heever thrills as Giorgetta, and one can see why and how she has gone on to greater stardom. The late Johan Botha is more fluently Italianate than usual, and the voice is glorious, likewise Wolfgang Koch, whose Michele is sung in a burnished baritone.