BaL 28.11.15 - Bellini: Norma

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

9.30 a.m.

Building a Library: Roger Parker compares recordings of Bellini's great opera, Norma. The story of love, jealousy and betrayal is set to music that is at once lyrical, passionate and dramatic.


Available versions:


Cecilia Bartoli, Orchestra La Scintilla, International Chamber Vocalists, Giovanni Antonini

Dimitra Theodossiou, Fondazione Orchestra regionale delle Marche & Coro lirico Marchigiano “Vincenzo Bellini”, Paolo Arrivabeni (DVD)

Joan Sutherland, Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and Chorus, Richard Bonynge (DVD)

Joan Sutherland, Orchestra & Chorus of Teatro Colon, Richard Bonynge

Joan Sutherland, London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, Richard Bonynge

Joan Sutherland, Opera Australia Chorus, Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra, Richard Bonynge
(DVD)

Joan Sutherland, Orchestra and Chorus of the San Francisco Opera, Richard Bonynge

Joan Sutherland, Orchestra & Chorus of Welsh National Opera, Richard Bonynge

Fiorenza Cedolins, Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of The Gran Teatre Del Liceu, Giuliano Carella (DVD)

Dimitra Theodossiou Teatro Massimo Bellini di Catania, Giuliano Carella (DVD)

Fiorenza Cedolins, Orchestra Filarmonica Marchigiana, Coro Lirico Marchigiano «Vincenzo Bellini», Fabrizio Maria Carminati

Maria Dragoni, Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro Lirico di Savona, Massimiliano Carraro

Montserrat Caballé, London Philharmonic Orchestra & Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Carlo Felice Cillario

Cristina Deutekom, Orchestra and Chorus of the San Francisco Opera, Carlo Felice Cillario

Elinor Ross, Coro e Orchestra del Teatro de la Fenice, Gianandrea Gavazzeni

Maria Callas, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Vittorio Gui

Gina Cigna, Orchestra e Coro dell' RIA di Torino, Vittorio Gui

Edita Gruberova, Vocal Ensemble Rastatt, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz,

Edita Gruberova, Das Bayerische Staatsorchester, Friedrich Haider (DVD)

Grace Bumbry, Orchestra Sinfonica di Bari, Michael Halasz

Renata Scotto Ambrosian Opera Chorus & National Philharmonic Orchestra, James Levine
Beverly Sills, John Alldis Choir & New Philharmonia Orchestra London, James Levine

Jane Eaglen, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino & Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Riccardo Muti

Montserrat Caballe, Orchestra & Chorus of Teatro Regio, Turin, Giuseppe Patane

Montserrat Caballe, Giuseppe Patane (DVD)

Shirley Verrett, Orchestra and Chorus of the San Francisco Opera, Paolo Peloso

Maria Callas, Orchestra and Chorus of the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Opera Nacional, Guido Picco (DVD)

Danieka Dessi, Coro e Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Evelino Pidò

***Montserrat Caballe, Georges Prêtre

Leyla Gencer, Coro e Orchestra del Teatro di San Carlo Napoli, Fernando Previtali

Hasmik Papian, Nederlands Kamerorkest, Julian Reynolds (DVD/Blu-ray)

Anita Cerquetti, Orchestra e Coro della Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Gabriele Santini

Maria Callas, Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala Milan, Tullio Serafin (1954)

Maria Callas, Coro e Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma della RAI, Tullio Serafin (1955)

Maria Callas, Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala Milan, Tullio Serafin (1960)

Milanov, Metropolitan Opera, C. Sodero

Elena Souliotis, Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Silvio Varviso

Maria Callas, La Scala Milan Orchestra, Antonino Votto

[verismissimo]

I'm currently doing a major catch up with Bellini. Last week was I Puritani (recordings and Welsh National live), which I loved. Now for Norma, which I last paid attention to some decades ago...

Think I only have Callas/Rome/Serafin from 1955. But what's interesting and more recent?

[Richard Tarleton]

I'm currently doing a major catch up with Bellini. Last week was I Puritani (recordings and Welsh National live), which I loved. Now for Norma, which I last paid attention to some decades ago...

Think I only have Callas/Rome/Serafin from 1955. But what's interesting and more recent?

Well, Sutherland is more recent - my only version on record is that with Caballé and Pavarotti, tho I prefer her partnership with Horne. Can't remember when I last listened to the whole thing....

I hope this is a better effort than RP's last, fine scholar tho he is, I thought he'd have been struck off after that.

[umslopogaas]

On LP I've got Callas and Serafin in mono, Callas and Serafin in stereo (different cast, with Corelli as Pollione), Sutherland and Bonynge, Suliotis and Varviso. I've also got a CD of Callas and Serafin, a different cast to the LP versions.

I'm not in the market for any more, but it will be interesting to see how he rates the various Callas versions. In my view it would be very hard to beat the Callas and Corelli version. According to The Rough Guide To Opera, "Callas rarely came so close to being outshone by her leading man."

[David-G]

I have just got tickets for Norma at next year's Edinburgh Festival, with Cecilia Bartoli. I am looking forward to it enormously.

[verismissimo]

I have just got tickets for Norma at next year's Edinburgh Festival, with Cecilia Bartoli. I am looking forward to it enormously.

Edinburgh with Bartoli. What a joyful prospect, David. (Sadly presumably without the OAE. What went wrong there?)

I plan to go in the New Year to the ENO Norma with the young American Marjorie Owens in the title role and Peter Auty as Pollione

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

List of recordings now in opening post.

[verismissimo]

List of recordings now in opening post.

Thanks, Alpie.

6 x Callas vs 6 x Sutherland. Wonder if either/any of that round dozen will make the cut.

[David-G]

Edinburgh with Bartoli. What a joyful prospect, David. (Sadly presumably without the OAE. What went wrong there?)

I plan to go in the New Year to the ENO Norma with the young American Marjorie Owens in the title role and Peter Auty as Pollione

Are you sure that the OAE were supposed to be involved? I had not heard anything about that. At Salzburg and on CD the orchestra was La Scintilla, "a Zurich Opera founded original instrument ensemble". At Edinburgh we are going to have I Barocchisti.

I seem to be doing a lot of travelling for Bellini - Edinburgh for Norma, Oxford for I Puritani, Zurich for I Capuleti. It will be good to have Norma in London!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Just a reminder of today's offering.

[BBMmk2]

Bellini, not a favourite of mine but I am surprised not many comments?

[Don Petter]

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible ...

[Bryn]

I'm somewhat surprised they did not get Norma Major to do this BaL. Right up her street, I'd have thought.

[mikealdren]

I've just ordered the Bartoli, much as I love the Callas versions, Bartoli and Jo's singing is just so beautiful

[Barbirollians]

Norma Major would have chosen Sutherland unthinkingly .

I suspect so few comments because Callas /Serafin was a certainty