In ’76 she debuted as Amelia in Simon Boccanegra at La Scala, under Claudio Abbado’s baton. In 1978 Herbert von Karajan ( who had been both conductor and director to her tense, exciting Nedda in Pagliacci at La Scala ) wanted Raina in Trovatore at the Salzburg Festival and in Vienna. He also asked her to be Alice in his Falstaff, on record, at the Salzburg Festival and on film in 1981 and ’82.

Kabaivanska’s discography is hampered by the fact that she was always outside the major record corporations in the West.; but it does contain some precious discs. In the mid-seventies FONIT- CETRA made her record two elegant recitals, one of Puccini arias under Gianandrea Gavazzeni ‘s history-making baton, one of Russian chamber music with piano accompaniment. Between 1979 and ‘81 RCA distributed a few beautiful recitals ranging from Cherubini to Puccini. In the mid-eighties this artist was able to make accurate complete recordings of five of her greatest roles: Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Manon Lescaut, Adriana Lecouvreur and Francesca da Rimini.

In 1979 Raina sang Evgenji Onjegin a the Metropolitan in New York. In 1980 Tosca with Pavarotti was a major triumph at La Scala. Soon after she sued the Milan theatre for breach of contract. The end of that partnership meant that Raina was now free to choose the roles in her career. She was established as the most acclaimed soprano in Italy and in many European countries. The Rome Opera, the Comunale of Bologna, the Hamburg Staatsoper, the San Carlo in Naples, the Regio of Turin, the Coliseo of Bilbao, the Massimo of Palermo opened their doors to her with fresh suggestions.