PUCCINI: “TURANDOT.” Maria Callas, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Eugenio...

PUCCINI: “TURANDOT.” Maria Callas, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Eugenio Fernandi, Nicola Zaccaria; Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan, conducted by Tullio Serafin. Angel CDCB-47971 (two mono compact discs). Recorded (alas, not stereophonically) in 1958, this “Turandot” offers a measure of revelation in Callas’ tender phrasing of “In questa reggia,” despite the impossibly curdled top notes (the late diva dropped the part from her repertory as early as 1949). But Fernandi’s brazen Calaf and Schwarzkopf’s polished, unidiomatic, incredibly self-possessed Liu haven’t acquired any more stature with the passing years. Serafin hits his stride in the insinuating second-act Ping-Pang-Pong trio, but barely communicates the complex orchestral textures. Despite digital remastering, the sonics haven’t noticeably improved in this reissue.