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The music on these discs has come as something of a revelation. Edgar was Puccini's biggest failure, the composer himself even referring to it despairingly in later life as a flop. The general opinion at the time of its premiere was that the music had merit but the plot - a story of love and desire in medieval Flanders - was both complicated and preposterous. This high-quality studio recording, with Placido Domingo in the title role, provides a welcome opportunity to hear a neglected score. While the music does not have the focus of Puccini's later works, it is highly interesting in its own right, and the haunting melodies and harmonic invention of the orchestration are vintage Puccini. The Intermezzo in particular, rarely performed, deserves much greater recognition. Lovers of Puccini's music should listen to this intriguing early work.
