Bellini: Norma

Bellini (Artist), Serafin (Artist), Callas (Artist), Corelli (Artist), Ludwih (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 17, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 4
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B002N4DYZY
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,804 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Better Norma, January 28, 2012

By 

William C. Norvell, Jr. "Fredd" (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bellini: Norma (Audio CD)

Much has been written about this recording, good and bad. I have had the earlier EMI recording of Norma with Callas for quite some time. I have always struggled to appreciate the "beauty" of the earlier set. Stignani was well past her prime when it was recorded. Anyone who has been to La Scala appreciates the the "live" sound that the acoustics of the theatre provide, even when attendance is at house capacity. That vibrant sound never made it to the first set, recorded in mono in the mid 1950's. At that time, acoustical engineering was still transposing recording techniques from the days of the 78's to the LP era, and acoustics and "sound" were just not very refined. By the time the second Callas "Norma" was recorded (@1960), audio engineering techniques had come a very long way and in a very short time; stereo was here to stay. This is a major factor in contrasting these two recordings. The stereo version sounds "full" and really picks up the vibrancy of the La Scala theatre; the mono original version is acoustically dead as though the engineers did not understand, or care about, the resulting "dead" sound picked up during the sessions. In my opinion, this is a major advancement in being able to hear the total Callas voice. Unfortunately, she recorded very few stereo sets ( we do have her "Carmen" and a few French recitals).In stereo, her voice is rich, softer and much more pleasant to listen to. I disagree with some others that her voice was showing some serious decline in this second recording. Only modest voice changes are heard and to label them as "declines" is not accurate. I only recently purchased this second reading of "Norma" by Callas, just to compare it with the original set. Frankly, for the first time in over 40 years, after listening to the later stereo version, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to "Norma" in a Callas version. It was refreshing and exciting and beautiful. Granted, there are some places where she seems to push her voice, but they are very few and hardly noticeable. She is, of course, aided by a slightly slower tempi by Maestro Serafin. The early Franco Corelli voice is absolutely pure gold. Christa Ludwig sounds fantastic and there is just no comparison, here, with the declining Stignani. There are only a handful of years (5 or 6) between the dates of these recordings, and the real difference is attributable to the acoustics, stereo engineering, the supproting cast, and, last but not least, a significantly improved La Scala orchestra. Hands down, between these two, my choice is the later recording. Listening to this one, one can really appreciate what Callas did for this role. This set does for "Norma" what her Covent Garden recording with Valetti does for "Traviata". A "must" for any opera lover, regardless of how you feel about Callas.