Ralph Moore 4.0 out of 5 stars A glorious live performance in fair sound 13 September 2012 - Published on Amazon.com As this live recording from 1976 features three of the same principal singers as Colin Davis's studio recording and Pritchard's direction is barely different from Davis's, being similarly lithe and well sprung, there is no compelling reason to acquire this over the Philips set, especially as this Gala issue suffers from a little distortion at peak volume, is occasionally marred by audience and stage noise and has a Tito in Werner Hollweg who, while pleasant enough on the ear, is not as mellifluous as Stuart Burrows and is given to the odd incipient bleat in his attack. Having said that, he is more animated and anyone hearing Hollweg at his best in his showpiece aria "Se all'impero" is unlikely to complain. Janet Baker is simply brilliant: her verve, agility and sheer venom as Vitellia have never been equalled and her top B's are thrilling. She is accompanied by two almost equally voluptuous-toned mezzos in Yvonne Minton and Anne Howells - who sounds remarkably similar to Baker with a slightly slower vibrato - with the beautiful chestnut-brown bass of a young Robert Lloyd and the silvery Teresa Cahill as Servilia completing a superb vocal team. These singers were often on stage together at the ENO or Scottish National Opera and are obviously very comfortable in ensemble.