Bellini: Norma Remastered

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 cabaletta 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 new mastering of Bellini's masterpiece is a vast improvement over its previous incarnation which sounds somewhat muffled in comparison. As such the performance benefits as well giving it more clarity and presence. Furthermore there is a fullness to the sound that has a firm foundation in the bass. This is particularly evident in the "Guerra" chorus in the second act.Caballé was not experienced with Norma when this was recorded. The same was true regarding Domingo's Pollione. As a result neither is as totally involved dramatically as they could be. Still, as singing per say both do their roles proud. In the future Caballé, at least on a good night, would offer more vocal weight and involvement in passages such as "Ah, non tremare" and "Casta diva" would eventually be given better shape and more nuance. However, those live recordings don't even begin to offer the quality of the sound of this well recorded studio version. Still there are many places where Caballé is able to float her trademark pianissimo to fine effect. Fortunately her performance grows in stature as the performance progresses resulting in a final scene of power and beauty. As such this is essential for those interested in hearing one of the supreme Normas of the Twentieth Century in essentially representative form.Stage experience was not and issue with Cossotto's Adalgisa as she had not only performed the part a multiplicity of times, and with Callas no less, but had recorded the part previously as well. Raimondi is as fine an Oroveso as is any on records.Conductor Carlo Felice Cillario keeps things moving at a judicious pace in an uncut version of the standard Ricordi score. Unfortunately the sunrise ending to the "Guerra" chorus is not part of the Ricordi edition. However, this is one of the rare performances to include the stage band in the "Druid Chorus" prior to Norma's entrance.Of course any opera collection needs to have one of the many versions of Callas who was the supreme Norma of the last century. My recommendation would be her 1960 Stereo version simply because in spite of some vocal problems she simply IS Norma. I further recommend that it be supplemented with Sutherland's first recording with Marilyn Horne and the version by Caballé under consideration here. All three divas, and each in their unique way, will give the listener an indication what makes Bellini's masterpiece the special opera that it indeed is.For those who wish to supplement their collection with live recordings I would suggest the December 7, 1955 La Scala recording with Callas and the 1974 DVD of Caballé at the Théâtre Antique d'Orange, with the former being my desert island performance of the piece.

I find the debates over which version is superior and thus THE version to own - unnecessary. If you want to own Callas' performance - do it. Caballe's voice resonated with me the first time I heard it and I really appreciate the overall quality of this performance.

A great Norma and Caballe/Cossoto/Domingo!! Not at all like the great Callas/Corelli, but still satisfying. Sutherland/Horne suffers from a weak tenor and some recording problems. If you "collect" Normas, you really need this one. So great that it's available in a new format.

There's only one Norma in my book and that's Montserrat Caballe!

Slow conducting, and the singers (especially Caballe) seem bored and uninterested. The recorded sound is not great. It's unexciting when it's supposed to be exciting, and the rest is worse. No recommended.

very dated. Not a good Casta Diva.

Glorious cast.

C’est en revoyant dernièrement, sur Arte, la merveilleuse représentation à Orange de 1974 que j’ai acheté ces cd pour réentendre Montserrat Caballé dans ce rôle qui lui va parfaitement.

Très bon enregistrement avec la belle voix de Montserrat Caballe

Petit prix pour un Grand Opéra. Magnifique voix de Catalogne.

Montserrat Caballé

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.