I just finished the 1952 version of La Sonambula.
youtube.com/watch?v=-LVLs6WrQl…
I used this English libretto.
murashev.com/opera/La_sonnambu…
The first thing I noticed was the extreme clarity. Usually, I listen to things from the 1940's and earlier, so I am not accustomed to it. I also observed how important the chorus was in this work. I like operas with light themes such as this. Both the music and the singing were excellent. Referring to what was said in another thread, while Tagliavini's voice was definitely sweet, I didn't think it was overly so when he was angry. He managed to portray that quite well. As for the ending, in reality, I would say that anyone who is so jealous in the first place (see Act I) and who would choose to marry someone else the day he had his heart broken doesn't deserve someone as sweet and innocent as Amina. But as an operatic twist, it worked very well. The fact that Lisa and Elvino were clearly former lovers also explains why she was so sad and jealous at the idea of Amina and Elvino marrying. I would like to think that Lisa and Rodolfo became a couple afterward, but with him being a count and her a commoner, I doubt it.
I definitely want to find more operas with light-hearted themes and beautiful music. The trouble is that I don't know how many of this sort were recorded in the 1950's and earlier.