Cheap Bellini - Norma / Bonynge, Sutherland, Troyanos, Canadian Opera Company (DVD) (Norman Campbell) Price
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Lotfi Mansouri, one of the great operatic entrepreneurs of the late 20th century, assembled a first-class supporting cast for Sutherland--most notably Tatiana Troyanos, to whose memory this video is dedicated. The performance of Troyanos in the role of the younger and equally troubled priestess Adalgisa is outstanding and would make this disc worth having even without its documentation of Sutherland. As far as it is possible to determine, this is the only video opera appearance of tenor Francisco Ortiz. On the basis of his performance as the Roman officer Pollione, he seems to have deserved more attention. Bass Justino Diaz gives a sterling performance as the old Druid Oroveso, and this production is, overall, preferable to the earlier Australian Opera video of Sutherland's Norma. --Joe McLellan
| CATEGORY: | DVD |
| DIRECTOR: | Norman Campbell |
| THEATRICAL RELEASE DATE: | 01 January, 1981 |
| MANUFACTURER: | Vai (Video Artists Inter.) |
| MPAA RATING: | NR (Not Rated) |
| FEATURES: | Color |
| TYPE: | Performing Arts - Opera |
| MEDIA: | DVD |
| # OF MEDIA: | 1 |
| UPC: | 089948420293 |
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Customer Reviews of Bellini - Norma / Bonynge, Sutherland, Troyanos, Canadian Opera Company
Good dvd This is a nice presentation of the great Joan Sutherland in one of her greatest roles. She is past her prime and seems quite tired in the last act, but she could probably still sing circles around most sopranos. Troyanos knocks my socks off and the Pollione - Ortiz is quite good. He has a baritonal sound but sings bel canto quite well with some impressive high notes. I prefer this version to the Australian Norma with Sutherland because, although Sutherland's singing is definitely better in the earlier Australia one, Troyanos is better than Elkins as Adalgisa and the tenor in that one is a bit of a 'can belto' guy whereas this Ortiz is quite pleasant to listen to. The production is quite dark, which I personally like, since all of the action takes place at night - it really sets the right tone.
Get the 1978 version with Elkins as Adalgisa...
Firstly, I agree that Norma is 'not in the same league' as Aida, Rigoletto or Carmen. It is in a league ABOVE any of these except perhaps Carmen! Norma is a true, fully-sung, lyrical opera, not a dramatic play with the speaking parts replaced by ear-piercing recitatives and interspersed with a few paltry arias like most other so-called operas (I could not sit through my Aida DVD). Bellini stands alone in being capable of such a creation, and musically is more akin to Chopin than any opera composer. If only he had lived longer, and if only we had an early Callas performance on DVD!
As for this performance, Sutherland's 1978 with Elkins is slightly better, though her Casta Diva was wobbly. Sutherland was already off her peak then, but better than in this 1981 performance. Its also available on DVD but offered here only in VHS format. Caballe has 2 performances available on DVD/VHS too. The one with Vickers/Veasey of 1974 is more beautifully sung, but the 1978 with Cossotto as Adalgisa is the fiery one. And both show Caballe at her prime.
The ONLY credible Norma after Callas...
I would never imagine seeing Sutherland having trouble singing even Casta Diva where in the fioritura part she misses some notes... Also her voice has lost its exceptional clarity and its tremendous agility... If any opera newbie should listen to this DVD they could never imagine the tremendous vocal phenomenon Sutherland once was... She overuses her thin lower register in order to be dramatic but that is not enough...
Anyhow, what someone would notice is how authoritative Sutherland was and she even sings the high D at the end of the terzetto following the Callas tradition...
Troyannos is extremely good but you can clearly see how she suffers with the role of Adalgisa which is a role written for low sopranos -soprano falcon- not mezzo sopranos. She is certainly no Christa Ludwig but she is truly great in this role. Troyannos is an Adalgisa not to be missed...
Sutherland would have been the Singer of the 20th Century if Maria Callas had never appeared...(what wouldn't we give for having the 1952 Covent Garden Callas Norma filmed). Sutherland by singing this untouchable by other sopranos role she proves not only that she was NOT a "tin-pot" coloratura as she used to call pure coloraturas but what a conssumate vocal artist she was...