Bellini: Norma (complete opera recorded in 1960)
$40.00
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VINCENZO BELLINI
Bellini: Norma (complete opera recorded in 1960)
Maria Callas, Christa Ludwig, Franco Corelli, Nicola Zaccaria / Orchestra and Chorus of La Scala Milan, Tullio Serafin
[ Warner Classics Maria Callas Remastered / 3 CD ]
Release Date: Tuesday 18 November 2014
This item is only available to us via Special Order. We should be able to get it to you in 3 - 6 weeks from when you order it.
Callas first sang Bellini's Norma in 1948, when she was just 25. She went on to perform the role of the heroic, but vulnerable Druid priestess - the ultimate embodiment of bel canto - more frequently than any other. In this second studio recording her conductor was again Tullio Serafin (he originally tutored her in the role in 1948), and the venue was again La Scala - where the opera was premiered in 1831. By 1960, Callas brought a wealth of new nuance to her interpretation, and she is aptly partnered by the creamy-voiced Christa Ludwig (in a rare recording of an Italian role) and the towering Franco Corelli.
50 GREATEST RECORDINGS OF ALL TIME (No 33) - BBC MUSIC
"Soprano Maria Callas's voice may have been in finer fettle for her 1954 recording of Bellini's bel canto opera Norma conducted by Tullio Serafin, but her 1960 version, again with Serafin at the helm, is packed with oodles more drama. Callas aside, the dream supporting cast, including Christa Ludwig, Franco Corelli and Nicola Zaccaria, makes this a crucial addition to any library" BBC Music
