Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Norma for All Times, 10 Jul 2003
When deciding on which recording of Norma to add to one's collection, it usually boils down to a choice of two - Callas 1954 or Callas 1960 - both on EMI. The choice is made slightly more difficult by the availability of several live Callas recordings - the best being La Scala 1955. This also stars Simionato & Del Monaco & finds Callas in her best vocal & dramatic form. However, when it comes to the studio recordings, the first (1954) finds her more secure vocally but a little less inside the role. The supporting cast & boxy sound are also a problem. Here the recording is very good 60s stereo. It also houses Corelli's near ideal Pollione & Zaccaria as a melifluous Oroveso. Serafin's conducting is in the central Italian tradition, but here he & the La Scala orchestra are helped by the fuller sound picture. The surprise of the set is the Adalgisa of Ludwig. Her voice was in peak condition at this time, & although her coloratura is not as accurate as Callas's, she sounds, as she should, like the younger woman. On the earlier recording, Stignani can't help sounding somewhat matronly. As for Callas, no other singer comes within a mile of her deep understanding of the role & its many complexities, Often the revelations come in a line of recitative, a moment oter singers may just gloss over. Admittedly, there is some deterioration in the quality of her voice since the earlier recording & many of the upper reaches of the role now have a hard metallic edge. But the coloratura is still fine & she knows just how to match her tone when singing in duet with Ludwig. Just listen to the way she shades the vocal line at her entry into "Mira o Norma". The whole of the "Dormano emtrambi" section is a lesson in how to deliver recitativo accompagnato. This is not one of those sets you can put on in teh background while doing the housework. Sit down, libretto in hand, & listen to it with your whole attention. I challenge you not to be in tears by the end.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Recomended!!, 24 Nov 2002
I have listened to Norma by other singers before and have not yet heard a performance with so much feeling and emotion as this recording of Norma by Maria Callas. Even though you can start to hear little discrepencies in the voice and the quality of notes is comparable to her previous recording the level of interpretation is of the highest standard. Recemended to all lovers of Bellini opera or even general opera, a fantastic performance.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
much better than previous 1954 recording, 24 Jun 2005
As I always prefer in recording operas feeling to be at the theatre - it means not to only enjoy "beautiful" singing - I consider this Norma to be dramatically and expresionally so perfect that I cannot imagine better one. Compared with previous Maria Callas studio recording I will always prefer this one however - how was written many times before not only here - her voice is not in the previous power and the higest register sounds littel sharp. BUT - analogous to her two recordings of Tosca, I enjoy always more the second of them. Her deep and inner immersion to the roles had led the interpretation of them to the perfectionism. She is more in the role here, more loving, nervous, tense, and the second part of the last act is truly amazing. I could never see her on the stage, but what I love on her recordings that she was able to express almost everything by her voice, so thanks to her dramatic talent and true identification with the heroine she performed as I am almost present on the performance. And of course, this recording is not only about tha Maria. What makes the first studio one for me almost suffering are both Pollione and Adalgisa. Fillipeschi is sort of tenore I really could not enjoy, and even his attemts to be dramatic ( last act ) I almost hate. And Stignani for me - however used to be popular, I have never heard her recording that would excite me. She was able to sing probably everything, but sounded so sterile to me, like randy lazy person, who easily - thanks to her big talent and perfect voice control - can perfmorm everything but everything in the same way. Probably when she was younger, she could be good Adalgisa, but still I wonder if she ever had any dramatic abilities. So enjoy with this recording one of the best Pollione ( Corelli ) and well sung Adalgisa by by Ludwig. She was criticized by someone somewhere, but I consider her well performing here, however ( knowing here usual repertoire ) I would not expect her as Adalgisa. And maestro Sreafini conducting ? As usually, classic of all classic. Real Maestro. Enjoy and if you do not have any Norma, buy this one first.
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