La Boheme

This ranks among the best recordings of La Bohème (a very crowded category) and is particularly important for José Carreras fans as one of the last recordings he made in the 1970s, before leukemia threatened his life and undermined his voice. He and Katia Ricciarelli always worked well together, and the long, ecstatic duet that ends act 1 is a perfect showcase for their voices and their emotional involvement in the music. Carreras is also effective in the heartbreaking acts 3 and 4, and Ingvar Wixell is at his rare best as the painter Rodolfo. --Joe McLellan