I was very disappointed by Ralph Moore's review, which basically amounted to: 'I can't be bothered to connect with this rarely-heard work.' In my opinion, Nerone is a masterpiece – though not the most easily assimilable one – and the Cagliari performance is magnificent. The very second track brings one of the great operatic declamatory scenes for a tenor, 'Questo ad un lido fatal', which the great Pertile recorded so superbly. Fairly recently a Telefunken test presssing of Pertile singing it at the end of his recording career turned up, and that too is beautifully sung. Mikheil Sheshaberidze may not have the declamatory imagination and engagement with the text that Pertile habitually demonstrated, but neither has any other tenor since, and the Georgian tenor has a fine voice which he deploys effectively. Conductor Francesco Cilluffo spent a year studying the score and in my opinion he makes something special of it. I don't ask anyone to agree with me but I do ask a reviewer to show more than the rather tired, downbeat attitude evident from Mr Moore's piece.