Joan Sutherland & Doris Soffel - NORMA (live in 1985, great sound): Ei tornerà • Deh! non volerli

A great live rendition of Norma with fantastic sound quality sung by Joan Sutherland in a very expressive performance and wonderful voice for her age (nearly 59), still a formidable Norma; Horst Hoffmann as a very virile and solid Pollione (despite a heavily accented Italian, but his singing compensates for that); and Doris Soffel in her young prime, with a very fresh, bright and clean voice.
Vicenzo Bellini - NORMA:
Act 2 - Scene 2 [see later uploads in my channel to listen to the rest of the opera]
1 - Non partì! Finora è al campo! [0:00]
2 - Ah! Del Tebro al giogo indegno [5:23]
3 - Ei tornerà! [8:23]
4 - Squilla il bronzo del dio [12:17]
5 - Guerra, Norma [14:00]
6 - Né compi il rito [16:37]
7 - In mia man alfin tu sei [20:15]
8 - Già mi pasco ne' tuoi sguardi [25:05]
9 - Qual cor tradisti, qual cor perdesti [30:11]
10 - Norma! Deh! Norma, scolpati! [34:54]
11 - Deh! non volerli vittime [37:19]
• Joan Sutherland, soprano (Norma)
• Doris Soffel, mezzo-soprano (Adalgisa)
• Horst Hoffmann, tenor (Pollione)
• Richard Bonynge, conductor
Live performance in Sweden, 1985

[@-Tesla-Live_]

Horst Hoffmann is a big-voiced tenor but, if you listen to the end of "Già mi pasco ne' tuoi sguardi," his high C is almost wiped out by Joan's, as is the orchestral sound as well. The power left in Joan's voice right to the end of her career, although she used it more sparingly, was amazing when she let it rip.

[@wilsonwatt9283]

In the last five or six years of her career, Sutherland used her vocal powers more fully in support of character expression, perhaps freed by knowing that whether she took the greater expressive risks or not she would be ending her career. This gave these "Indian Summer" performances immense charge because the perfection of the technical skills now supported a much greater character involvement. I saw her at the Chicago Lyric during this period in Anna Bolena and she simply wiped away everyone else on the stage [all great singers] with her performance.

[@Ruffiello]

Thank you, Mr. Watt, for sharing your insight and experience.

[@ahogbin2644]

Thanks so much for posting. Excellent sound. Sutherland in her Indian Summer. Fantastic!

[@alwaysnew189]

ladies are no surprise, the tenor is great , too!!