The present release features a classic of the Rossini discography, absent from the market for a long time, featuring an entirely Italian cast dominated by Ettore Bastianini. This production was recorded in London in 1956 and has been expertly mastered for optimal sound quality. Originally encouraged to become a singer while training as a pastry chef, Bastianini joined the cathedral choir of Siena and began to study as a bass in 1939. He gave his first professional concerts during 1940 and 1941 and in 1942 won first prize in the National Singing Competition in Florence. In Europe during the mid-1950s Bastianini appeared in historic productions, many of which have fortunately been preserved through unofficial recordings.