This 10-CD set presents benchmark recordings of five Donizetti operas from original albums of the 1950s in copies of their original sleeves. The performances feature high-class soloists and conductors, including Maria Callas, Giuseppe di Stefano, Cesare Valletti, Alda Noni, Tullio Serafin, Gianandrea Gavazzeni and many others.

Gaetano Donizetti was one of the most prolific opera composers of the 19th century and, together with Vincenzo Bellini, one of the most important representatives of Italian belcanto. His output influenced an entire century and even today no opera stage world-wide can conceivably ignore his most successful works.

Five of his greatest operas are collected in this box of original albums recorded in the 1950s. The legendary soprano Maria Callas sets the standards in the set with her stunning performance in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor under her mentor Tullio Serafin, alongside that of Anna Bolena at La Scala, Milan with conductor Gianandrea Gavazzeni.

Also included are outstanding recordings of L’Elisir d’Amore, La Figlia del Reggimento and Don Pasquale which feature singers of the calibre of Giuseppe di Stefano, Tito Gobbi, Giuseppe Taddei, Lina Pagliughi, Cesare Valletti, Alda Noni, and Giulietta Simionato.

Contents:
CD 1/2: LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR
Cast:
- Lucia: Maria Callas
- Edgardo di Ravenswood: Giuseppe di Stefano
- Lord Enrico Ashton: Tito Gobbi
- Raimondo Bidebent: Raffaele Arié
- Lord Arturo Bucklaw: Valliano Natali
- Alisa: Anna Maria Canali
- Normanno: Gino Sarri
Orchestra & Chorus of Maggio Musicale, Fiorentino / Tullio Serafin
1953

CD 3/4: L‘ELISIR D’AMORE
Cast:
- Adina: Rosanna Carteri
- Nemorino: Luigi Alva
- Belcore: Rolando Panerai
- Dulcamara: Giuseppe Taddei
- Giannetta: Angela Vercelli
Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan / Tullio Serafin
1958

CD 5/6: ANNA BOLENA
Cast:
- Anna Bolena: Maria Callas
- Giovanna Seymour: Giulietta Simionato
- Enrico VIII: Nicola Rossi-Lemeni
- Percy: Gianni Raimondi
- Smeton: Gabriella Carturan
- Sir Hervey: Luigi Rumbo
- Lord Rochefort: Plinio Clabassi
Orchestra & Chorus of La Scala, Milan / Gianandrea Gavazzeni
1957

CD 7/8: LA FIGLIA DEL REGGIMENTO
Cast:
- La Marchesa di Berckenfield: Rina Corsi
- Sulpizio: Sesto Bruscantini
- Tonio: Cesare Valletti
- Maria: Lina Pagliughi
- Ortensio: Erando Coda
Orchestra Lirica & Chorus of RAI, Milan / Mario Rossi
1950

CD 9/10: DON PASQUALE
Cast:
- Don Pasquale: Sesto Bruscantini
- Malatesta: Mario Borriello
- Ernesto: Cesare Valletti
- Norina: Alda Noni
- Un Notaro: Armando Benzi
Orchestra and Chorus of RAI, Turin / Mario Rossi
1952