fine al rito
So, guess who’s going to sing Norma?
“Sie ist die unbestrittene, strahlende Königin des Koloratur-Mezzofachs: Cecilia Bartoli. In der kommenden Saison wird sie im KONZERTHAUS DORTMUND in einer der bedeutendsten und schwierigsten Partien der gesamten Opernliteratur zu erleben sein: als „Norma“ in Vincenzo Bellinis gleichnamiger Oper. Die musikalische Leitung dieser wichtigen konzertanten Produktion liegt in den Händen von Thomas Hengelbrock, der seine eigenen Klangkörper, das Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble und den gleichnamigen Chor, dirigieren wird. Die Aufführungen sind für den 29. Juni und 1. Juli 2010 geplant.”
Maury @2 – just to warn you – your priceless translation may be going viral. I sent it to a non-operatic translator colleague and now it’s coming back to me from others. Congratulations on your stralling work. Eggplant.
I have never been there, but Dortmund probably has a smaller concert hall than in bigger cities. Also, in concert she will be IN FRONT of the orchestra, so she has some edge there. I don’t know if these factors will help overcome some of the limitations of her tiny voice. They also might possibly have a smaller, almost chamber sized orchestra, which could help also, but would cut down on the dramatic grandess of the piece. I am still skeptical.
That second recorded version od Sutherland’s Norma was a real ‘stinker’,no wonder it was shelved away at Decca for quite a few years before release. She stayed around too long and became a caricature of herself……that later career – unmistakable thin ‘Ahhhhhhroooooooohrrr’ sound as she attacked a note. Then there was her Adriana Lecouverer with Bergonzi…….I know a record shop that sent every copy back. Either their customers would not buy or returned it and got their money back. The shop obliged to keep good faith with its regular customers.To see fawning fans applauding these travesties in various videos made, makes one reach for the sickie bag.
If Dessay can make merde of Sonnambula, there is absolutely nothing standing in the way of Bartoli’s making una bella caccata of Norma.
Chacun a son gout!