Verismo, meaning “realism,” was a late-19th-century movement in Italian opera that shifted the focus from kings and myths to ordinary people living vivid, emotionally charged lives. These operas confront love, jealousy, betrayal, and longing with unfiltered immediacy. The arias on this album are direct, lyrical, and often explosive: demanding a singer who can deliver both technical brilliance and raw human truth.

Originally released in 1971, this reissue comes with new remastered HD audio for the first time. These were taken freshly from the pre-master tapes in the Decca vaults and bring a fresh and beautiful perspective to these historic recordings.

Tracklist:
Side A
1. Giordano: "Amor ti vieta" [Fedora]
2. Boito: "Dai campi, dai prati" [Mefistofele]
3. Boito: "Ogni mortal mister...Giunto sui passo estremo" [Mefistofele / Act 4]
4. Cilea: "La dolcissima effigie sorridente" [Adriana Lecouvreur / Act 1]
5. Cilea: "L'anima ho stanca, e la meta è lontana" [Adriana Lecouvreur / Act 2]
6. Mascagni: "Apri la tua finestra!" [Iris / Act 1]
7. Meyerbeer: "Mi batte il cor... O Paradiso!" [L'Africaine / Act 4]
8. Massenet: "Pourquoi me réveiller, ô souffle du printemps?" [Werther]

Side B
1. Giordano: "Colpito qui m'avete ... Un dì all'azzura spazio" [Andrea Chénier / Act 1]
2. Giordano: "Come un bel dì di maggio" [Andrea Chénier / Act 4]
3. Giordano: "Sì, fui soldato .. Passa la vita mia" [Andrea Chénier / Act 3]
4. Puccini: Ch'ella mi creda [La fanciulla del West, Act III]
5. Puccini: Ma se vi talenta – Tra voi, belle, brune e bionde [Manon Lescaut, Act I]
6. Puccini: Donna non vidi mai [Manon Lescaut, Act I]
7. Puccini: Ah! Non v'avvicinate!... No! no! Pazzo son! [Manon Lescaut, Act III]