Bellini: Norma

Compared to the Callas-Normas from 1950-1955, this is a more lyrical and quet reading. While Callas sounds like a more primitive unhappy woman, Caballe remains dignified and classic. The way its conducted allows the singers time for expression, and the lyrical melancholy are just there. Domingo, Cossotto and Raimondi sounds young, and they fit well into their parts.The opening of many costumary cuts in the score, makes som unusual impressions, i.e the ending of Meco in Altar' di venere, and the extended A bello, and the trio at the end of act one. As an addition to other recordings of Norma, this is a great one.

I bought this to replace the earlier issue - Sony achieved astonishing results when they remastered Bernstein's Falstaff and Rosenkavalier, and I was hoping for the same kind of improvement here, as the original recording wasn't very good. Unfortunately, the new issue is only marginally better in terms of sound. The reservations about the performance remain - in particular, I don't hear the "steady pulse" referred to in another review, but rather the conductor constantly pulling the tempi around. Caballe, Domingo and Raimondi all make attractive sounds - how could they not? - but the drama is muted. This should have been first choice for anyone allergic to Callas's high notes or Sutherland's occluded consonants, but isn't in the same league as either.

This is such a fabulous recording that when I found my old version of it was damaged and it was no longer on the current catalogue, I nearly freaked out. I had to pay well over the odds for this one, but it was worth it. The casting is sensational, and Caballe's exquisite "Casta Diva" still raises the hairs on the back up of my neck.

Good sound, well produced. Good to relax and listen to.

Totally riveting

I bought this along with the Solti "Rigoletto," and somewhat to my surprise found that this is much better. Cillario doesn't set the world on fire, but he's steady, keeps a good pulse, trusts his singers to be expressive in the conversational passages, and coaxes a nice sound from the 1973 LPO that is well caught in the remastering. But the question with "Norma" is -- how does it measure up to Callas? Well, it's better cast than the two early EMI Callas recordings (studio with Filippeschi, and live with Picchi), and in much better sound too. The 1960 Callas, with Corelli and Ludwig is stiffer competition. Even so, this one holds its own. Limitations first: in 1960, Callas and Corelli were old hands at "Norma," and they had besides expressive resources and vocal qualities that neither Domingo nor Caballe possessed, and one result is that what I call the conversational passages are projected with much more nuance and dramatic awareness than we find in this recording. It's the case too, I believe, that Cossotto, well as she sings, has a voice that's a bit too unyielding for Adalgisa, where Ludwig and Marilyn Horne are both more vulnerable-sounding; so good though the singing is -- and it always is -- some scenes aren't as engaging as one would ideally like. Ralph Moore talks of an "assembly-line" quality, but I think that's a tad harsh -- rather, I think, these singers just hadn't thought or felt their ways into their roles -- had they even sung them on stage much, if at all? -- and that accounts for the lower dramatic temperature.However, a real virtue of this recording is that the final scene is given with great emotional power. Caballe conceives it on a more intimate scale than Callas, and she sings absolutely beautifully. Even without the spine-chilling baritonal tinges of Callas's "In mia man," that final confrontation with Pollione is powerful and moving, and Domingo is at his best there too. The singing, simply as singing, is of very high quality -- but there is much more than singing going on in that final scene. Corelli and Callas are great there too, but Caballe and Domingo are a match, in their different approach. As for another "big moment," I have to say that I thought "Mira, O Norma" was really well done, and if "Si, fin all'ora" sounded too much like two healthy hockey-playing girls, well . . . that's Bellini's fault. I've always found that caballetta to be a misjudgment on Bellini's part. Of the other singers, Elizabeth Bainbridge is a very positive Clotilde, Kenneth Collins a very fine Flavio, and Ruggero Raimondi (whose name is mis-spelled on the front of the box) has a perfect voice for Oroveso and sings very beautifully. Has there been a better "Norma" on CD since 1973? Scotto? Sutherland 2.0? I don't think so. I thought this was just fine and, where it mattered, much better than that.

This 1972 studio recording of Norma was always somewhat eclipsed by the Callas and Sutherland earlier versions. It's good to have it back in remastered sound as it offers a very attractive alternative. In some ways it's perhaps the most strongly cast, all four soloists (Caballé, Cossotto, Domingo, Raimondi) have beautiful voices and are in top form. Now whether that makes it the "best Norma" is open for debate but it definitely makes it a highly satisfactory one offering many vocal delights.

If you don't have this opera then this is one of the best recordings to go for. Caballe sails through this vocally taxing role, demonstrating her incredible sustained singing and control. My one, very picky, gripe is her regular glottal snaps when she lets loose her fortissimos. She is often described as "matronly", which I don't get. Here she acts the distraught jilted lover with passion and pathos. Cossotto makes for such a wonderful blend with Caballe's voice - full-blooded, warm and equally powerful. The set is worth it just to hear their duets.Domingo is fine as Pollione (I know "fine" is a meek description) but he does not thrill. He pushes out a nasal top C in his opening aria that really is not pleasant. Why bother? Raimondi is in sparkling form as Oroveso - his voice, authoritative and penetrating. A quick mention for Kenneth Collins as Flavio (now he had a top C - ah the irony!).Felice Cillario does not really make his presence felt as a conductor, but with Caballe and Cossotto filling my senses I'm not that bothered (perhaps it's to his credit?). I can't say this is a better recording that the second Maria Callas Norma, with Ludwig and Corelli, but it's darn good and well worth getting at a reasonable price (and worth reissuing RCA! What's the matter with you?).