Puccini: Manon Lescaut (Complete Opera recorded in 1957)

Each act of Puccini's episodic opera shows Manon Lescaut in a different light - from the ingénue of the first to the desperate, dying woman of the last. Though Callas never performed the role on stage, she captures every aspect of this passionate, but selfish and enigmatic character. In this particular Puccini opera, the tenor is by no means overshadowed by the soprano, and Giuseppe di Stefano duly dominates the gripping scene at Le Havre. The young Fiorenza Cossotto - a powerhouse in roles such as Amneris and Eboli - makes a cameo appearance as the Madrigal Singer.