Bell Telephone Hour - Joan Sutherland - Norma: Casta Diva... Ah bello, a me ritorna (1964)

[@-Tesla-Live_]

Nobody sings or has ever sung the fioriture as beautifully and magically as Joan.

[@tamerlan2677]

That's what perfection means.

[@vanmusician]

I saw her very first Norma performance here in Vancouver in Oct. 1963. Vancouver Opera kept the brick red cloak she is wearing on the cover of her first recording, and years later I got to put it on!

[@debbiewoodburn6786]

The incomparable Joan Sutherland.

[@65attila]

I saw her as Norma -stunning as is this performance.

[@ian.marais1202]

Superb. La Stupenda per sempre. This is absolutely fabulous. What a voice!!!!!❤❤❤❤

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

This is Joan Sutherland at her peak.What a huge tone of voice...and perfect embellishments...and I may be wrong - but I think this was performed in the original key of G

[@yfzhou8074]

You aren't. It's in G. Most other performances and most of the performances I've seen are in the key of F. I do believe that the aria was written in G before the first Norma (Giuditta Pasta) asked for it to be transposed down.

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

@@yfzhou8074 Thanks for letting me know...

[@crazyorganist1609]

Yep it's in G

[@Shahrdad]

It’s in G, though from the very beginning it was sung in F. Composers weren’t as wedded to the original keys back then as we tend to believe nowadays. They were more than happy to transpose to a key that was more congenial to the singer.

[@ardeladimwit]

@@yfzhou8074 no, it's not stopped down-- it's the recording itself. this isn't digital-- it's analog and nobody rewrites orchestra scores to "stop down".

[@Rodrigo-rx3nf]

there's absolutely nothing in the wrong place.

[@zhamiram6578]

Absolutely nothing! She was The Colortura and will always cherish her.

[@jondavwal13]

Anna Netrebko in 2006: "What about the ne plus ultra of the soprano repertory, Bellini’s “Norma”? “That’s what everybody says, but it is so hard!” she said. “And it has to be sung absolutely perfect. I was recently in the Met store, I came in there, and somebody was singing Norma just perfect! I cannot say any bad word about this singing. I said, who is this? Joan Sutherland.” Ms. Sutherland “is a completely different way of singing, and different technique,” she said. “I don’t know how she’s singing. It’s just like flute playing. Perfect sound, beautiful, everything is free. I think this is a voice, one in a century like that.”

[@smtaz7631]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@Rodrigo-rx3nf]

BRAVISSIMA!

[@billcarr54]

FAB-U-LOUS !!

[@joaocampelo3725]

Perfeita

[@crazyorganist1609]

Sutherland is one of the very few sopranos to sing this it's original key of G. I don't think even Callas sang it in G (I could be wrong)

[@nicklinks2956]

And Callas also

[@wotan10950]

I’m almost sure that Callas and Caballe sang it in F. The only other singer of note who sang it in G was Sills.

[@distefano13069609]

Callas sang it in G only in 1953.

[@stefanodallasen796]

È bravissima certo ma non supera affatto la Callas dei migliori anni e neppure la Caballe e nella terza aria ho appena sentito la Sills che brilla come uno smeraldo in mezzo alla pirotecnia vocale. Espressiva non lo è per niente come sempre.

[@user-xc6vs6gi6w]

мне тоже показалось что 1964 год это пик формы. Но эта запись мне меньше понравилась по сравнению с аудио записью. Нет практически форте. Поет как чистая колоратура Сазерленд в лучшей форме отличало сочетание колоратурного пения с мощным форте.

[@giovic9802]

9:26

[@artdanks4846]

One of the most phenomenal and beautiful voices EVER! And yet....so boring to watch her sing! No drama or passion, unless you close your eyes!

[@Eiswirth1]

Go to a play if you want to see drama. I don't care if it's Meryl Streep (my favorite actress) on stage porrtaying Norma; if she can't sing like Sutherland, I'm walking out.

[@artdanks4846]

@Eiswirth1 I understand what you're saying, as I adore Sutherland's voice. But a role like Norma really needs to have both impeccable singing, and an impeccable sense of drama, both physically and vocally. All that being said, I agree with you. Sutherland's voice was one of a kind in its perfection. 😁👍