San Diego OperaTalk! with Nick Reveles: Bellini's Norma

[Lohengrin]

great effort in presenting the greatest Opera ever written. Two comments:

- there is a vocal line in the recitativo "Ei tornera..." where the soprano must sing continuously for 16 sec. It is the phrase: Come del primo amor... and it also contains coloratura climbing up to high D.

- The suggested Callas recording here (1960) as well as the video of Sutherland with Troyanos find the two Normas in preceptible vocal decline. The 1954 studio Norma with Callas and Stignani would be a better choice

[niallguinan]

When in the opera is the Ei tornera recitative?

[Lohengrin]

when Norma summons the Druids for war Just before Guera Guera. The 16-sec line in the 1952 covent garden callas Norma is sung to perfection