Bellini - Norma - Caballé, Vickers - Patané, 1974DVD5 - PAL - 4:3 - All Regions - Cover - Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono - 161min.
Hardy
Subtitles: Italian, English, French
Actors: Montserrat Caballé, Jon Vickers, Joséphine Veasey, Agostino Ferrin, Marisa Zotti
Directors: Pierre Jourdan
This is the legendary Caballé Norma, a live outdoor performance filmed in the Théâtre Antique Orange in Provence in 1974. Like Callas, Caballé's live performances frequently exceed her studio renditions of the same work. There are several recordings of her in this role. Generally, they are hit or miss but that night she got it absolutely perfect: a true goddess with a voice of an angel floating ethereally. She herself is said to regard it as her finest recorded performance. It is musically and dramatically thrilling. Caballé, who was later accused of being motionless and indifferent on stage, is at her most committed here.
Patané approaches the score as if it were early Verdi. His lead and the response of all on stage give this performance a majestic grandeur with a sustained rhythmic thrust. Vickers is at his prime here. He did not record the role anywhere else. The other soloists all stand out. The tension electrifies the entire performance. Even the mistral (a veritable windstorm) joins in a role of its own to magnify the dramatic effect. It was later imitated in other productions. There is no other Norma of this caliber. It is simply a miracle. --Amazon customer
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