This 2011 set from Decca combines four recording
Giuseppe di Stefano made between 1956 and 1965. It gives anyone unfamiliar with the great, post-World War II tenor a taste of what he sounded like in his prime and in the repertoire for which he was best known. There are two discs of the Italian and Neapolitan songs, including Torna a Surriento, the songs he sang before he appeared on the operatic stage and were on some of his first, and most popular, recordings. There's also a disc of some of the most celebrated tenor arias, such as "E lucevan le stelle," from Tosca; "Nessun dorma," from Turandot; and "Salut! Demeure chaste et pure," from Faust. The final two discs are a complete performance of
Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, with
di Stefano portraying the love-struck Nemorino and
Hilde Gueden as the fickle Adina, all conducted by
Francesco Molinari-Pradelli.