Sutherland rose fully to the challenge of this greatest of female operatic roles. One might wonder if her memory of Callas [with whom she performed Clotilda while Callas was in her prime] helped her find the most perfect balance she ever had of beauty of voice, technical skills, and emotionally perfect dramatic interpretation. Even the greatest can be inspired by other greats.
Just mind blowing...where did this kind of singing virtuosity go? It is NOT being taught today! Just stunning. I really love how bright Horne's voice is here...Especially because in Bellini's time the distinction was less about soprano and mezzo soprano and more about prima and seconda donna...The seconda was sometimes the younger or less experienced singer, and would eventually "graduate" to the prima role...And Tagliavini! Mamma mia! Just a beautiful laser cutting through these incredible ladies with his interjections! Brilliant! Thank you so much for posting this video! Norma is one of my all time favorite operas.
1belcantofan Sutherland was certainly the greatest Norma I ever heard in the theater. But Sandra Radvanovsky and Angela Meade are also excellent today.
@@wotan10950 Neither Radvanovsky nor Meade are adequate Normas. Radvanovsky has a large voice but it is unidimensional emotionally. It lacks the subtle changes of quality that this role demands. Meade is simply not competent enough in bel canto technique to be an acceptable Norma. Singers should not attempt Norma unless they have conquered every aspect of dramatic coloratura technique and Bellini's special style demands. It would be better to have no Normas for decades, as has been the case since its debut, rather than the inadequate representations that are now being shown on operatic stages. We should thank Madame Netrebko for her musically sound decision not to sing Norma. She is a great artist and her recognition that she should not sing this role demonstrates that.
You prolly dont care at all but does anyone know a method to log back into an Instagram account? I somehow lost my login password. I love any help you can offer me.
Maravillosa!!!! Tiene algo de divina y mágico ésta sacerdotisa de Irminsul. Callas era otra cosa. Magnífica también. Basta de comparaciones!!!! La Sutherland tiene su nombre escrito en letras de oro en el mundo de la ópera.
For me, there's only one Norma, and that's Sutherland. I've heard many of the greats and enjoyed them all, but none of them thrill me like Dame Joan. She had the greatest voice God ever gave a human -- and she knew how to use it.
I was in the audience at Sutherland's very first performance of Norma, and years later got to try on that orange cloak. It's now the property of Vancouver Opera.
@vanmusician: Please tell me that all you tried on was the cloak, no undergarments. Could you sing the role better for wearing the cloak? Ha, ha bet not!!
@@johnpickford4222 The cloak is all that was kept - it was on display in the lobby of the theatre for Vancouver Opera's 50th anniversary Norma - also conducted by an aged R. Bonynge. Sutherland and Horne were both invited to attend but were not well enough. They sent greetings which were printed in the programme. You won't believe this but I once got a mercifully quick glimpse of La Stupenda's knickers while helping her out of a cab in front of the rehearsal hall - preparing for her first Lucrezia Borgia, which I saw opening night!
I saw the ROH 1967 performances three times, nights that have lived in my memory all these years, I saw someone else at Covent Garden, a little later, I think it was Felicia Weathers, not a patch on the Sutherland performances. But I think the greatest of. all is the Sutherland / Horne / Alexander recording. Still listen to it often and still get goosebumps.
es increiblemente fotogenica....................................siempre su imagen .....dice y escribe el suo canto.....................................ese poderio que sola ella ha tenido a lo largo de toda la historia del planeta..............................
65attila Wow! You are so lucky to have heard Dame Joan live in a theater AND at her best! What was it like live? I can't imagine! Truly amazing I suspect! She sounds like a true assoluta! I was born too late! We have no singers who use their talents in this way now! The voices exist still...the talent is out there...but not the virtuosity and the training...the ability to craft a role! So exciting!
1belcantofan Nonsense! I saw Sutherland many times in opera and recital, and yes she was absolutely phenomenal. But we have fantastic bel canto singers today too: Joyce DiDonato, Sandra Radvanovsky, Angela Meade, Jessica Pratt, Javier Camarena. Bel canto didn't die out after Sutherland.
I couldn't chose between them. I go to each of their Norma's for different things. Joan for vocal perfection and regal, queenly furor, Callas for grit, fire, and vulnerability.
Bosie Wilder Also, Bellini was known as a terrible orchestrator. He spun the most fantastic heavenly melodies, but he wasn't known for his orchestration skills. It's widely acknowledged among critics and in books about the bel canto era.
Actually that is wholly untrue. His operas, especially Norma and I Puritani are considered innovations of orchestration. The second act of Norma is universally considered as achieving a new level of emotional orchestration. Even Wagner was complimentary of Bellini's music.
I'm sorry, I don't agree with you. Norma has some of the worst orchestrated passages (the Guerra chorus, the offstage banda after Casta Diva, and this playout, with its thumping bass drum). Bellini was NOT at all famous for his orchestration, although his string parts are very beautiful. When he finally tried to be more inventive in orchestration, in Puritani, he did stupid things like having the orchestra so loud in passages (when Elvira discovers that Arturo has left her) that many lines are completely lost.
What you hear is not Bellini's fault at all. Although he was perhaps not the greatest orchestrator of the bel canto era, the fact is that Bonynge is a mediocre conductor who cared only about making his livelihood off of his wife's spectacular talents. Any better conductor could have made this even more impressive than Bonynge does. Listen to any of Sutherland's recordings with other conductors [particularly her first rendition of Handel arias with Adrian Boult conducting which Bonynge later insisted that London re-record with him conducting] and you will hear the difference that a great conductor makes to the singing of a great soprano.
A number of people make confusing arguments below. Bellini's forte, acknowledged both in his own time and throughout music history, is the use of melody to create character. He was not a "great" orchestrator and often seemed to not really care much about the crowd scenes [in Norma, for example, the silly march from the woods after the Casta Diva or the Guerra chorus both of which seem simply added because they were expected]. The arguments below that Wagner thought Bellini"s orchestrating was great are simply historically not supported. Wagner saw Bellini as the great melody maker and envied his ability to create such immediately emotive melodies within a coherent story line.
I disagree with all the hate the Guerra chorus gets, it's primitive and primal, like the Gauls themselves. Fits in Bellini's music the orchestra is very much secondary to the voices, serving more as a cushion, or support for the vocal lines, rather than as its own entity.
la gran cantante de todos los tiempos.....................por meritos propios.......y voz unica....................................educada desde pequeña.........como un juego...........para ser la mayor lider vocal de todos los tiempos....................ni los castratis.estaban a su altura............pues ella es una grandisima soprano fuera de serie....................capaz de hacer vocalmente ................lo imposible..................voz..........interpretacion..........potencia......belleza..........y tesitura nebulosica..............imposible para otros artistas del pasado.................y del presente...............esta mujer ahora mismo y desde hace tiempo es la referencia.......para muchos artistas............esta forma de cantar e interpretar..........es simplemente unica..............en el mundo conocido.......................
la donna madre......................la prima donna abbssolutta.................................la gran cantante leonardesca.......................................la gran cantante daliniana.......................................ella es cantando........................leonardo................miguel angel................rafael..................zurbaran.......................rivera...............greco.....................es en si misma el todo por el todo en musica......y canto..................
I agree. I'm a great admirer of Joan Sutherland, her ability to effortlessly tackle the most difficult music is without equal. However Maria Callas was the more dramatic singer without a doubt and in her prime was supreme in Norma, Anna Bolena etc.
@@paullewis2413 It comes down to personal preference. I hear the drama in Callas but her recorded voice is so often ugly to my ears. Perhaps if I had heard her live I'd be able to appreciate her more. However for me the beauty of Sutherland's voice as recorded is preferable. Aren't we lucky to be able to enjoy both singers?
Yes, this is what I am referring to in my remarks above. Bellini was not an orchestrator of merit. He wrote great melodies that created every emotion and then sort of put little pillows of sound under the singers which we could do without and not miss any of the emotion of the vocal lines. I have often thought it would be interesting to hear Norma sung "a capella"; I do not think with the right singers there would be any loss of the sense or emotional impact of this opera.
questa registrazione confernm che le Norme di riferimento di questi ultimi 50 anni sono la Callas per la sua arte immensa e la Caballè per la sua voce meravigliosa. Questa ha un canto noioso e ingolato e solo per gli acuti era famosa. Un velo pietoso sulla direzione orchestrale.
Canto noioso tem as suas cantoras italianas que não conseguiram fama nos últimos 50 anos. Italianos adoram falar mal de cantores de outros países e não percebem as péssimas cantoras que tem. Citem qual cantora italiana se compara com a Sutherland? Nenhuma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ah sim caríssimo Samuel sei que a Callas e la Caballé não são" italiane". Amo la Sutherland sim e penso que la Callas é grandíssima em Norma e tem uma outra aproximação do papel e outro estilo bem diferente da Sutherland. Só não posso concordar que se diga que a Sutherland tinha voz engolada...por favor isso não posso aceitar. Ela também tinha muito mais que só agudos. De qualquer forma meus respeitos ao Sr., pois afinal todos amamos la lírica e pra mim no fundo é isso que importa. Abraços do Brasil.
La Sutherland dal vivo l'ho ascoltata molte volte ma la voce era differente dal disco o le registrazioni dal vivo. Era tutt'altro che noiosa, a parte qualche parola poco comprensibile. Aveva piu' nerbo ed energia della Caballe' quando invece sembrerebbe il contrario.
Sutherland rose fully to the challenge of this greatest of female operatic roles. One might wonder if her memory of Callas [with whom she performed Clotilda while Callas was in her prime] helped her find the most perfect balance she ever had of beauty of voice, technical skills, and emotionally perfect dramatic interpretation. Even the greatest can be inspired by other greats.
Just mind blowing...where did this kind of singing virtuosity go? It is NOT being taught today! Just stunning. I really love how bright Horne's voice is here...Especially because in Bellini's time the distinction was less about soprano and mezzo soprano and more about prima and seconda donna...The seconda was sometimes the younger or less experienced singer, and would eventually "graduate" to the prima role...And Tagliavini! Mamma mia! Just a beautiful laser cutting through these incredible ladies with his interjections! Brilliant! Thank you so much for posting this video! Norma is one of my all time favorite operas.
1belcantofan Sutherland was certainly the greatest Norma I ever heard in the theater. But Sandra Radvanovsky and Angela Meade are also excellent today.
I agree. Norma's and Adalgisa's ranges are the same, I believe. As for the singing in this clip, it really is "stupendous."
@@wotan10950 Neither Radvanovsky nor Meade are adequate Normas. Radvanovsky has a large voice but it is unidimensional emotionally. It lacks the subtle changes of quality that this role demands. Meade is simply not competent enough in bel canto technique to be an acceptable Norma. Singers should not attempt Norma unless they have conquered every aspect of dramatic coloratura technique and Bellini's special style demands. It would be better to have no Normas for decades, as has been the case since its debut, rather than the inadequate representations that are now being shown on operatic stages. We should thank Madame Netrebko for her musically sound decision not to sing Norma. She is a great artist and her recognition that she should not sing this role demonstrates that.
You prolly dont care at all but does anyone know a method to log back into an Instagram account?
I somehow lost my login password. I love any help you can offer me.
@Tate Harlan instablaster =)
The simply sublime voice of the incomparable Joan Sutherland.
I love your consistent, pithy, superlative comments ...Totally agree! x
Maravillosa!!!! Tiene algo de divina y mágico ésta sacerdotisa de Irminsul. Callas era otra cosa. Magnífica también. Basta de comparaciones!!!! La Sutherland tiene su nombre escrito en letras de oro en el mundo de la ópera.
For me, there's only one Norma, and that's Sutherland. I've heard many of the greats and enjoyed them all, but none of them thrill me like Dame Joan. She had the greatest voice God ever gave a human -- and she knew how to use it.
Suth Pav I agree with you 100%.
(Joan and Birgit)
Sutherland certainly had a commanding presence and, dare I say, "gravitas," qualities so necessary for Norma, IMO.
I have to say, Sutherland had the most incredible voice ever. But as Norma, I prefer Callas.
@@tonytony8747 I like Sutherland. But as Norma, I also prefer Callas.
Just wondering if you heard Callas live as Norma before 1957?
Sutherland a fantastic Norma for ever. Horne and Bonynge are connaisseurs.
I was in the audience at Sutherland's very first performance of Norma, and years later got to try on that orange cloak. It's now the property of Vancouver Opera.
@vanmusician: Please tell me that all you tried on was the cloak, no undergarments. Could you sing the role better for wearing the cloak? Ha, ha bet not!!
@@johnpickford4222 The cloak is all that was kept - it was on display in the lobby of the theatre for Vancouver Opera's 50th anniversary Norma - also conducted by an aged R. Bonynge. Sutherland and Horne were both invited to attend but were not well enough. They sent greetings which were printed in the programme. You won't believe this but I once got a mercifully quick glimpse of La Stupenda's knickers while helping her out of a cab in front of the rehearsal hall - preparing for her first Lucrezia Borgia, which I saw opening night!
I saw the ROH 1967 performances three times, nights that have lived in my memory all these years, I saw someone else at Covent Garden, a little later, I think it was Felicia Weathers, not a patch on the Sutherland performances. But I think the greatest of. all is the Sutherland / Horne / Alexander recording. Still listen to it often and still get goosebumps.
Felicia Weathers never went near Norma. Grace Bumbry, maybe?
I was at opening night of her first Norma with the cast of the first recording. The last of those 5 performances is now available on commercial CD
es increiblemente fotogenica....................................siempre su imagen .....dice y escribe el suo canto.....................................ese poderio que sola ella ha tenido a lo largo de toda la historia del planeta..............................
INCOMPARABLE............................SUBLIME.........................TODOPODEROSA DIOSA DEL CANTO....................
Divina L Sutherland
Perfection
Simply fabulous singing.
ES UNA CANTANTE SALVAJE............................BESTIAL.........................UNA COSA VOCAL DE OTRO MUNDO.....................
Sutherland and Horne, of course. But we can add that Tagliavini who does the job in a marvelous way. One the best Pollione I've ever heard.
Rosa Ponselle introduced me to Norma. Joan Sutherland is a worthy successor. Truly La Stupenda!
Joan's voice was an even column of beautiful large sound.
What a CAST!
Perfection!!!
I heard Joan about this time as Norma in Philadelphia. She was stunning.This post is wonderful.
+65attila 1967 was a great year for Joan. It is also the last time she sang the interpolated high E flat in "In mia man".
65attila Wow! You are so lucky to have heard Dame Joan live in a theater AND at her best! What was it like live? I can't imagine! Truly amazing I suspect! She sounds like a true assoluta! I was born too late! We have no singers who use their talents in this way now! The voices exist still...the talent is out there...but not the virtuosity and the training...the ability to craft a role! So exciting!
1belcantofan Nonsense! I saw Sutherland many times in opera and recital, and yes she was absolutely phenomenal. But we have fantastic bel canto singers today too: Joyce DiDonato, Sandra Radvanovsky, Angela Meade, Jessica Pratt, Javier Camarena. Bel canto didn't die out after Sutherland.
I was also at The PA performance...Magnificent..
Not an apples to apples comparison. Sorry.
I can only repeat the comment below... mind blowing!
direzione tremenda ..., lei con una bellissima voce, fraseggio, note ed il resto?
Cosa intendi con "e il resto"?
i love maria callas , my favorite norma is dame joan sutherland
ME TOO
I love Joan Sutherland. My favorite Norma is Maria Callas.
I love them both, Sutherland has a wonderful voice, but Callas is Norma.
I couldn't chose between them. I go to each of their Norma's for different things. Joan for vocal perfection and regal, queenly furor, Callas for grit, fire, and vulnerability.
The playout from the orchestra sounds like an amateur town band. Brass Section, what were you doing?
I just think the sound is so unbalanced...maybe the "archaic" state of musical recording at the time. The voices are luscious though.
Bosie Wilder Also, Bellini was known as a terrible orchestrator. He spun the most fantastic heavenly melodies, but he wasn't known for his orchestration skills. It's widely acknowledged among critics and in books about the bel canto era.
Actually that is wholly untrue. His operas, especially Norma and I Puritani are considered innovations of orchestration. The second act of Norma is universally considered as achieving a new level of emotional orchestration. Even Wagner was complimentary of Bellini's music.
I'm sorry, I don't agree with you. Norma has some of the worst orchestrated passages (the Guerra chorus, the offstage banda after Casta Diva, and this playout, with its thumping bass drum). Bellini was NOT at all famous for his orchestration, although his string parts are very beautiful. When he finally tried to be more inventive in orchestration, in Puritani, he did stupid things like having the orchestra so loud in passages (when Elvira discovers that Arturo has left her) that many lines are completely lost.
What you hear is not Bellini's fault at all. Although he was perhaps not the greatest orchestrator of the bel canto era, the fact is that Bonynge is a mediocre conductor who cared only about making his livelihood off of his wife's spectacular talents. Any better conductor could have made this even more impressive than Bonynge does. Listen to any of Sutherland's recordings with other conductors [particularly her first rendition of Handel arias with Adrian Boult conducting which Bonynge later insisted that London re-record with him conducting] and you will hear the difference that a great conductor makes to the singing of a great soprano.
A number of people make confusing arguments below. Bellini's forte, acknowledged both in his own time and throughout music history, is the use of melody to create character. He was not a "great" orchestrator and often seemed to not really care much about the crowd scenes [in Norma, for example, the silly march from the woods after the Casta Diva or the Guerra chorus both of which seem simply added because they were expected]. The arguments below that Wagner thought Bellini"s orchestrating was great are simply historically not supported. Wagner saw Bellini as the great melody maker and envied his ability to create such immediately emotive melodies within a coherent story line.
I don't agree
I disagree with all the hate the Guerra chorus gets, it's primitive and primal, like the Gauls themselves. Fits in Bellini's music the orchestra is very much secondary to the voices, serving more as a cushion, or support for the vocal lines, rather than as its own entity.
la gran cantante de todos los tiempos.....................por meritos propios.......y voz unica....................................educada desde pequeña.........como un juego...........para ser la mayor lider vocal de todos los tiempos....................ni los castratis.estaban a su altura............pues ella es una grandisima soprano fuera de serie....................capaz de hacer vocalmente ................lo imposible..................voz..........interpretacion..........potencia......belleza..........y tesitura nebulosica..............imposible para otros artistas del pasado.................y del presente...............esta mujer ahora mismo y desde hace tiempo es la referencia.......para muchos artistas............esta forma de cantar e interpretar..........es simplemente unica..............en el mundo conocido.......................
la donna madre......................la prima donna abbssolutta.................................la gran cantante leonardesca.......................................la gran cantante daliniana.......................................ella es cantando........................leonardo................miguel angel................rafael..................zurbaran.......................rivera...............greco.....................es en si misma el todo por el todo en musica......y canto..................
Who is this ........ Miracle......;;;;;
Questo finale manca di mordente....sentire Callas Simionato Del Monaco Scala 1955...
I agree. I'm a great admirer of Joan Sutherland, her ability to effortlessly tackle the most difficult music is without equal. However Maria Callas was the more dramatic singer without a doubt and in her prime was supreme in Norma, Anna Bolena etc.
@@paullewis2413 It comes down to personal preference. I hear the drama in Callas but her recorded voice is so often ugly to my ears. Perhaps if I had heard her live I'd be able to appreciate her more. However for me the beauty of Sutherland's voice as recorded is preferable. Aren't we lucky to be able to enjoy both singers?
@@paullewis2413 Callas sings ""Annna Bolena"" in her primes ;;;;;;;;!;;;;;;
@@ktrewin23 SOOOO lucky!!
Those cymbals at the end. Just terrible.
DCFunBud I agree....but the High D and the chorus!
Yes, this is what I am referring to in my remarks above. Bellini was not an orchestrator of merit. He wrote great melodies that created every emotion and then sort of put little pillows of sound under the singers which we could do without and not miss any of the emotion of the vocal lines. I have often thought it would be interesting to hear Norma sung "a capella"; I do not think with the right singers there would be any loss of the sense or emotional impact of this opera.
questa registrazione confernm che le Norme di riferimento di questi ultimi 50 anni sono la Callas per la sua arte immensa e la Caballè per la sua voce meravigliosa. Questa ha un canto noioso e ingolato e solo per gli acuti era famosa. Un velo pietoso sulla direzione orchestrale.
Canto noioso tem as suas cantoras italianas que não conseguiram fama nos últimos 50 anos. Italianos adoram falar mal de cantores de outros países e não percebem as péssimas cantoras que tem. Citem qual cantora italiana se compara com a Sutherland? Nenhuma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
la Callas e la Caballè non sono italiane caro Sutherland fan, ma se tu preferisci la Sutherland padrone.
Ah sim caríssimo Samuel sei que a Callas e la Caballé não são" italiane". Amo la Sutherland sim e penso que la Callas é grandíssima em Norma e tem uma outra aproximação do papel e outro estilo bem diferente da Sutherland. Só não posso concordar que se diga que a Sutherland tinha voz engolada...por favor isso não posso aceitar. Ela também tinha muito mais que só agudos. De qualquer forma meus respeitos ao Sr., pois afinal todos amamos la lírica e pra mim no fundo é isso que importa. Abraços do Brasil.
La Sutherland dal vivo l'ho ascoltata molte volte ma la voce era differente dal disco o le registrazioni dal vivo. Era tutt'altro che noiosa, a parte qualche parola poco comprensibile. Aveva piu' nerbo ed energia della Caballe' quando invece sembrerebbe il contrario.
poor Tagliavini, he sounds awful, like a comprimario.
you need a Corelli to stand up to these two vocally.
Definitely
No fire No expression and always sheets on thé last note! Sorry not for me,!
Sheets on the last note?