Bellini: Norma, Detroit 1989. (Farewell Performance) Sutherland, Thomas, Suarez, Bonynge REPITCHED

[@davidhansel897]

Thank you for posting this! Sinfonia: 0:05 Act 1, s.1: 06:01 "Meco all'altare di Venere": 14:35 "Casta diva": 26:47 Act 1, s.2: 53:00 "O, di quel sei tu vittima": 1:09:44 Act 2, s.1: 1:18:33 "Mira, o Norma": 1:32:39 Act 2, s.2: 1:40:23 Act 2, s.3: 1:48:14 "In mia man": 1:59:47 "Deh! Non vollerli vittime": 2:15:54

[@chembaliszt484]

Excellent work! So much better than from “original” tape…

[@romearomeo]

Un documento molto interessante, anche se qui il declino vocale della Stupenda si sente molto...d'altronde cosa normalissima dopo una strabiliante e lunghissima carriera...le registrazioni della Norma del '67 e '70 anche su questo canale, sono una testimonianza eccezionale dell'indimenticabile STUPENDA.

[@lastupendajoansutherland]

Thank you!!!!!

[@lahire22]

Nicely great performance!!! Some parts are just fantastic! So thnx!!! P.S. The tempo of the overture is mind blowing :D and "Guerra, guerra! Legallicheselve" in the third scene of the second act something generally unthinkable in terms of swiftness ))) P.S.P.S. How amazing is this record!!!

[@MattPozdoltheVoice]

Excellent job and thanks again!

[@Twentythousandlps]

It took Sutherland a year or so to acknowledge her time was up, and I doubt she would have been pleased to see this phase of her long career perpetuated.

[@johnpickford4222]

Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge were more more honorable with their contracts than some of the organizations who made offers and retracted them shamelessly (MET Merry Widow and Semiramide.) She had originally thought that 1986 would be a good retirement year but honored contracts that were existing until 1990. I remember in 1975 reading she had contracts out until 1984 when she would be 58! This NORMA production originated in California and appeared in Detroit, Spring 1989. According to John Pascoe, the director/designer, she was not in the best health and I believed cut the dress rehearsal short or missed it altogether. I heard all three performances and thought the mid-week one best. In the final performances of her career in the most difficult role in the repertoire, she acquits herself well. It does seem that the overall tempo is faster to help with some of the runs or sustained notes. One of the performances were recorded for later PBS broadcast to honor her. No, it is not Sutherland of 1964 but to keep the role in her repertoire for 25 years is remarkable. I enjoyed the excitement of hearing and seeing her and only regret not hearing more often in the previous 15 years when her last MET performance was the TALES OF HOFFMAN tour. She was and will always be LA STUPENDA and as Detroit metro resident are grateful to the Michigan Opera Theater (now Detroit Opera) and the late Dr. David 20:24 DiChiera for bringing her final NORMA performances to Detroit.

[@kbhprinsesse]

An interesting document but it's sad to hear Sutherland's voice in this condition. Occasionally there are glimpses of her former greatness, such as the trill that ends "Casta Diva" and the final high note of the following cabaletta, but all in all it makes me sad.