EMI's 1955 recording of Madama Butterfly features three of the brightest stars of the era:
Maria Callas,
Nicolai Gedda, and
Herbert von Karajan.
Callas is completely convincing as an adolescent, beautifully capturing Butterfly's vulnerability and sensitivity with an astonishingly youthful-sounding vocal freshness. She's compellingly poignant as Butterfly's dilemma becomes clear. The only caveat is the intonation and purity of her sustained notes above the staff; several of them are painfully strident.
Gedda is thoroughly caddish as Pinkerton, singing with passion, but shows some strain in the upper register.
Karajan, leading the Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, has a sure grasp of the score's dramatic contour, making this a highly charged reading. The orchestral playing is of the highest order. The recorded sound is clear and balance is good, but vintage; it's somewhat cramped and lacks depth.