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• 23 Set 2014

Dame Joan Sutherland – “Sediziose voci! … Casta Diva … Ah! Bello, a me ritorna” – “Norma” (1831) – Vincenzo Bellini.

Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden
M.° Francesco Molinari Pradelli Conductor.
Recorded in 1960.

The voice of Dame Joan Sutherland was, in the Sixties, technically perfect.
Her “Casta Diva” is sung with a clear, light, pure voice and an excellent diction. The highs and intonation are impeccable.
The recitative “Sediziose voci,” however, is clumsy.
On the other hand, the technical virtuosities of the Cabaletta are impeccable.
Joan Sutherland has not a tragic temperament, in Bellini. Her Norma is vocally vivid, but the character is weak.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIferyu9UZg