But the overwhelming majority of the 28 tracks here show Freni's art at its considerable best. The Puccini items are especially enticing. She's a ravishing Mimi in two arias from the complete 1964 performance led by Thomas Schippers, and arias from La rondine, Gianni Schicchi, and Turandot are almost as wonderful. Tosca and Butterfly are two roles light lyrics wisely avoid, but her 1968 "Vissi d'arte" and "Un bel di" combine vocal magic with compelling projection of the characters' fragility. From a few years earlier comes Traviata's big first-act scene, and unless you insist on Callas' fire, Freni satisfies--the voice is fresh, beautiful throughout its range, "Sempre libera" is thrilling, and Traviata's dilemma is sharply characterized.

Freni's not associated with bel canto roles, but her "Qui la voce" from Bellini's I puritani is well done, if without the spectacular fireworks of a Callas or a Sutherland (but with a firmer line than the latter), and her "So anch'io" from Donizetti's Don Pasquale is delectably perky. Six selections show her adept in French roles, highlighted by a spirited "Waltz Song" from Gounod's Roméo et Juliette, notable for its verve, precise articulation, and lovely legato.

Freni is sometimes unfairly overlooked in discussions of post-war sopranos, overshadowed by Callas & Co. and by the lack of a really big role that she, and she alone, "owned"--although her Mimi might qualify. Her virtues were of the less sensational sort: she didn't have Sutherland's nightingale high notes and coloratura facility, Caballé's magical pianissimos, or Price's dusky sexiness. In short, it was hard to pin a label on her. But she did have a voice of uncommon purity, her interpretations were elegant and stylish, she expressed emotions through voice color (not by fussing with the words or sobbing), and she always honored the musical line. This set depicts one of "the very best" sopranos of her time, and it's a worthy introduction to her art. [5/29/2003]