The album received favorable reviews from music critics.
The Washington Post explained that the album was "widely panned" upon its release, though notably it was defended by
Glenn Gould.
AllMusic gave the album a retrospective rating of 3 out of 5 stars, describing it as one of Streisand's "more esoteric projects" and a surprise to her fans.
The Independent said that when the album was first released, it was a "rare and risky gambit". The Second Disk explained that the singer's "clarion voice and dramatic interpretive skills" ensured the album's timelessness.
The New York Times said that the album was a "rare instance of [Streisand] being too deferential to the originals".
The Baltimore Sun deemed it her "most daring album". The
Tuscaloosa News compared Streisand's underwhelming performance of classical music to that of
Florence Foster Jenkins. The Daily Gazette described it as an "ill-fated...proto-crossover album".
Philippine Daily Inquirer said it was an "esoteric but laudable project", and one of the moments Streisand challenged herself with musical risks in her youth.
The Village Voice compared its "hideous...camp" to that of
Jane Olivor's performance of
Donovan's
Lalena.
Beaver County Times deemed it a "pleasant surprise". Sarasota Herald Times said the album saw her "belting out arias". A Singer's Notebook thought Streisand's vocals sounded "repressed".
Scotland on Sunday, in an article about the inappropriateness and limitations of many crossover albums, described Streisand's effort as a " decidedly dangerous liaison". Classical pianist Glenn Gould wrote: "For me, the Streisand voice is one of the natural wonders of the age, an instrument of infinite diversity and timbral resource...Nothing in this album is insensitive or unmusical". == Track listing==