Bellini: Norma Scheveningen 1978 Sutherland Tourangeau Van Lmpt White Bonynge

*Thank you to Nick for sharing this audio with me!!*
*Thumbnail colorized by me. I have no clue if these are the right colors of Tourangeau or Van Limpt's costumes. I completely guessed the colors based on other Adalgisa and Pollione costumes from other performances with Sutherland and hoped for the best, as there were no color photos from this production to go off of! Feel free to let me know the colors if I am totally wrong lol, and I'll make a new thumbnail*
This performance of Norma takes place at the Circustheater in Scheveningen, The Hague, Holland, on December 26th, 1978. Joan Sutherland is in great voice here. This production had a mini tour in Holland from Amsterdam to Scheveningen to Rotterdam and finally Utrechet. (Would love to hear those performances!) One of the Amsterdam performances has even been filmed (not professionally) and posted here on UA-cam. Go check it out! The cast is in great voice here. Joan Sutherland, dare I say, is in even better voice here than in the 1978 Sydney production. I honestly wish one of the 1978 Holland performances were filmed over the Sydney performances. Van Limpt makes a nice good Pollione. Much stronger than some other tenors. Tourangeau sounds way different here. Her voice is still recognizable, but due to feeling ill, during this performance, she pulls off some 'vocal trickery' for some parts. Her middle voice is much weaker here compared to the Amsterdam footage a couple of days prior, which is why she holds back more here. Her high notes above high A have oddly improved in her later career for some reason... Personally, I prefer Tourangeau as Adalgisa in the 1970 Philadelphia and 1972 San Francisco Norma productions; her voice, in general, is much stronger there.
Being a broadcast performance, no pitch or sound quality editing had to be done (yay).
Enjoy!
Cast:
Norma: Joan Sutherland
Adalgisa: Huguette Tourangeau
Pollione: Adriaan van Limpt
Oroveso: Willard White
Flavio: Henk Kooymans
Clotilde: Urpu Nuottamo
Conductor: Richard Bonynge

[@alfvillanueva]

New to me ..AGAIN !! Will never stop thanking and blessing you for your generosity posting these first rate performances from our Joan and excellent casts !!!

[@ahogbin2644]

Thanks so much for posting. A splendid performance in really excellent sound.

[@claesrobertnyman]

Sutherland in top shape, as always. The Voice of The Century, no doubt!

[@GLBinNP]

wow - van Limpt! I already knew Sutherland and Bonynge were great, but he's new to me - wonderful

[@er12144]

I worked with Adrian van Limpt at the San Diego Opera. He sang Radames quite well. He reminded me a lot of Richard Tucker. van Limpt was discovered by the great Christina Deutekom.

[@tamerlan2677]

So beautiful and such a great sound! 🤩 Thank you very much!

[@timfincham3756]

AkaI, thank you so much for your wonderful posts

[@familypondman]

I was there, also in Amsterdam and in the beginning of yhe aria "casta diva" she stopped and said tot the conducter, again and starded from the beginning, never heard that, it was altight I think teh first time also!
Thanks very much, brings back, many memories!

[@AkaiGX]

Dame Joan did mention that moment in her autobiography, have a read.
"On December 2 we took an evening flight to Amsterdam where we began rehearsals for Norma at the Circustheater in Scheveningen, opening on the fourteenth in Amsterdam, with further performances in Scheveningen, Rotterdam and Utrecht. It was during this series of performances that I experienced one of my most embarrassing vocal moments. Between my big entrance recitative and commencing 'Casta diva' I turned upstage to cut a mistletoe branch and took the opportunity to clear a little phlegm before beginning the aria. To my horror I croaked the opening words - I hadn't cleared my throat but had lodged the phlegm securely like a veil or web right across it. I really sounded like a broody hen. After the first two words I stopped singing. shrugged my shoulders, loudly did clear the obstruction and continued singing without further problems. There was more applause that night than ever for the aria."

[@familypondman]

@@AkaiGX Thank you very much for telling me, but I was there and didnt hear the problem, only that she stopped and said, we all could hear it, I am sorry, once again please and began the aria again!

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

This was wonderful! The sound excellent! Thank you so much for posting this!!

[@michaelpapadopoulos5450]

❤❤❤❤