Tosca

José Carreras recorded Tosca twice in the 1970s--his best years--but his voice was much better for Colin Davis when recording this set in 1976 than it was for Herbert von Karajan's 1979 interpretation. And Davis's conducting is also better. It would be nearly ideal if Ruggero Raimondi could be transferred from the von Karajan set (and perhaps Katia Ricciarelli; tastes differ on Montserrat Caballé's Tosca). In any case, for Carreras fans, this is the Tosca to have. --Joe McLellan