Almost without exception the performances collected here tread Offenbach’s primrose path with verve…Twenty-first-century operetta lovers will weep to see such luxury casting…The Belle Hélène here is Jessye Norman, no less: a performance of such sensuality and vocal charisma that it could easily launch a thousand ships.

There is probably something for everyone here, ranging from the early exuberance of Ba-ta-clan to the unfinished Les contes d’Hoffmann. But there are many joys en route, offering a variety of styles – Mady Mesplé, Adolpf Dallapozza, Jessye Norman, Teresa Berganza, José Carreras, Neil Shicoff, Michel Plasson – it’s a roll call of excellence, not least the bonus of Jane Rhodes’ juicy solo disc of airs célèbres, worth the price of the box alone.