Norma

Bellini (Artist), Cillario (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000003EPJ
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #239,530 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #55 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Caballe, Montserrat

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Prelude - London PO/Carlo Felice Cillario

2. Act 1: Ite sul colle, o Druidi - Ruggero Raimondi

3. Act 1: Svanir le voci - Placido Domingo/Kenneth Collins

4. Act 1: Meco all'altar di Venere - Placido Domingo

5. Act 1: Odi? I suoi riti a compiere Norma - Placido Domingo/Kenneth Collins

6. Act 1: Norma viene - Ambriosian Opr Chor/Carlo Felice Cillario

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Act II: Vanne, e li cela entrambi - Montserrat Caballe/Elizabeth Bainbridge

2. Act II: Adalgisa!-Alma, costanza! - Fiorrenza Cossotto/Montserrat Caballe

3. Act II: Ma di', l' amato giovane - Fiorrenza Cossotto/Montserrat Caballe

4. Act II: Oh! di qual sei tu vittima - Montserrat Caballe/Placido Domingo/Fiorenza Cossotto/Ambriosian Opr Chor/Carlo Felice Cillario

5. Act III: Dormono entrambi - Montserrat Caballe/Elizabeth Bainbridge

6. Act III: Me chiami, o Norma? - Fiorenza Cossotto/Montserrat Caballe

See all 7 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Act IV: Non parti? - Ambriosian Opr Chor/Carlo Felice Cillario

2. Act IV: Guerrieri! a voi venirne - Ruggero Raimondi/Ambriosian Opr Chor/Carlo Felice Cillario

3. Act IV: Ah! del Tebro al giogo indegno - Ruggero Raimondi/Ambriosian Opr Chor/Carlo Felice Cillario

4. Act IV: Ei tornera, si - Montserrat Caballe/Elizabeth Bainbridge

5. Act IV: Guerra, guerra! - Montserrat Caballe

6. Act IV: Ne compi il rito, o Norma? - Ruggero Raimondi/Montserrat Caballe/Elizabeth Bainbridge/Placido Domingo

See all 9 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complete "Norma" experience., April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Norma (Audio CD)

This recording is truly faithful to Bellini's written score, as no music is cut or greatly embellished. You wouldn't really notice, however, as singers, conductor, and orchestra alike make this opera come alive with fire and beauty. Caballe was a justly celebrated Norma, with the vocal size and flexiblity demanded by this most challenging role. You can feel the emotions she must have felt and radiated on the stage listening to her. This is a great performance by a great artist. Cossotto was known not just for her Verdian roles, she also wowed audiences with her portrayal of Aldagisa; her voice is a great match to the soprano's, particularly in vocal color (her high Cs sound as if they were intended by the composer, which, after all, they were). A young Domingo brings a heroic nobility to the role of Pollione, and I agree with the below review, that his high C is rare (and Pollione has only one), but it is sung wonderfully here, as is Domingo's whole performance, true to his legend. Raimondi's deep bass voice carries off the role rather high tessitura role of Oroveso with ease, never lacking in drama. Even the brief vocal appearences from Flavio and Clothilde fit well into the fabric of the whole. Bellini's orchestral writing may not have been all that impressive to some, but the orchestra, conducted by Maestro Cillario, conveyes drive and emotion, particularly during the overture; you know this is an age of opera long past, yet it seems fresh, new, and invigorating. This is a wholly enjoyable recording of a masterpiece of bel canto, and I recommend it highly. Each participant does their part to make this recording a triumph.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The True Bel Canto Norma, November 11, 2005

By 

Rudy Avila "Saint Seiya" (Lennox, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Norma (Audio CD)

More than any other studio recording of Bellini's Norma, this studio recording from the late 60's is the most definative of bel canto style Norma. The other recordings always lack the beautiful element and instead become either verisimo or dramatic, nearly Wagnerian drama. Maria Callas' Normas in the 50's were sheerly dramatic and she was armored like a Druid warrior vocally speaking. The same applies to Shirley Verrett and Grace Bumbry's Normas in the late 70's. Joan Sutherland sings in bel canto fashion but lacks dramatic appeal. Montserrat Caballe understood the significance of both the text and the beauty of the music. She is the Norma with the most balanced harmonics. She is in her prime in this recording and she essays each scene with bravura. Her Spanish compatriot Placido Domingo has the perfect voice for Pellione and for once does not have the harsh timbre that some Pelliones have had. His is a purely lyrical and romantic portrayal that one even feels sympathy with this character. And of course his voice blended with Caballe's is glorious. Fiorenza Cossotto is the most dramatic Adalgisa I have ever heard, with the exception of Shirley Verrett's Adalgisa on Beverly Sill's Norma studio recording which is yet to see the light of day on remastered recording. Ruggero Raimondo, singing nothing spectacular does a fine job as Oroveso. This is the most beautiful Norma you will ever hear.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good Norma but it did get better, December 19, 2002

By 

Bogdan Iliescu (Iasi, Romania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Norma (Audio CD)

I got this Norma for it is one of my favourite operas and for some of the cast. Most of all I wanted to hear Caballe singing Norma. And her performance was very pleasing to my ears. She understood very well her character and manages to express it also very well all over the score. Her voice is in a very good shape and the phrasing makes the music sound convincing. The rest of the cast does a pretty good job and manages to offer a strong performance of Bellini's capo d'opera. A plus for Raimondi and Cillario as they manage the score vividly and in a very good style.
But from my point of view this recording can't surpass Callas' recording under Tulio Serafin. That recording inspires the drama from the very beginning. Callas, Corelli and Ludwig are a more credible trio in every aspect and seem to be more into characters, both as psychology and conflicts. Serafin conducting has more authority and drives the musical narration to a livelier finale.
Overall, this recording is a pleasing one and, as it doesn't have any major flows and contains some very nice performances, must be, in my opinion, part of a collection of Norma great recordings.