| 'La jolie fille de Perth', a very loose adaptation of Walter Scott's 'The Fair Maid of Perth', is a delightful opera, full of memorable melodies, composed in 1867, between 'Les pecheurs de perles' and 'Djamileh'; Bizet on his journey towards creating one of the greatest masterpieces in the operatic genre, 'Carmen', completed in 1875, the year of his untimely death.  What makes this recording exceptional are the singers, all in their prime back in 1985. Especially notable are June Anderson (Catherine) and Alfredo Kraus (Henry). They are at their finest. The lesser roles are sung by such notables as Jose Van Dam (Ralph) and Gabriel Bacquier (Simon). The exception is a young Gino Quilico (le duc de Rothsay), son of Louis, just as he was starting out on his career, already a singer showing promise. All in all this is a splendid opera and worth owning.
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