I note the passing of the great Romanian soprano and am reminded that among the many opera surveys I have posted, she is often the best thing in a recording. I am thinking here of her Héro in Barenboim's recording of Berlioz’s Béatrice & Bénédict, her Micaëla in Abbado's Carmen, her Leila in Prêtre's Les pêcheurs de perles and her Louise, Adina in Pritchard's L’elisir d’amore and her Gretel in his Hänsel und Gretel, her Manon for Plasson, Lauretta in Maazel's Gianni Schicchi,and of course her wonderfully touching Violetta in Kleiber's La traviata. What a diverse array of outstanding performances; she was a great - and sometimes formidable - artist.