Product Details

• Actors: Montserrat Caballé, Fiorenza Cossotto, Pedro Lavirgen, Ivo Vinco, Enrique García Asensio
• Format: Classical, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Bel Canto Society
• VHS Release Date: February 23, 1999
• Run Time: 171 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305332797
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,560 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fairly dramatic interpretation from Caballe., September 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bellini: Norma [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Although this is a good performance, this is NOT the 1974 performance (Orange, France) referred to by the other reviewer; this is a 1978 performance (Spain) with Cossotto, Lavirgen, Vinco, and Garcia-Asencio (cond.).

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest Norma in video and among the greatest at all, July 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bellini: Norma [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a golden age performance with peak Caballè and exellent singing by Vickers, Veasey and Ferrin, as well as very good orchestra and conduction. Probably this is the best Caballè's Norma at the peak of her unmatched possibilities: cream voice, flourished passages, endless fiati, terrific breadth span and legato, perfect agilità, but also ring,verve and convincing moving on the stage. Unforgettable!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning performances by all involved, February 18, 2003

By 

Kevin Trent "ikwt" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bellini: Norma [VHS] (VHS Tape)

When the video opened I was a little scared. The stage seemed small, cramped, and the sets and costumes have a brown with toast accents theme (it's a performance from 1978, after all). But then the singing starts. The Orovoso has a deep, authoratative voice and a commanding presence. The tenor basically yells all of his lines, but he yells them with conviction, and I'm convinced he's yelling because he was angry at the bad wig and mutton-chop sideburns he wears throughout. Cossotto sings well as Adalgesia, but seems more interested in milking the audience for applause than in presenting a character. Caballe was having a great night, singing a lovely "Casta Diva" although she barks out a few of her high notes in the first two acts. Based on this video it's hard to understand why she earned criticism for not being a convincing actress, and as good as she was in the first two acts she is absolutely on fire in the third. This is a great performance.