Comments on: fine al rito

By: camille

camille — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:46:09 +0000

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!

By: Harry

Harry — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:00:24 +0000

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.

By: John

John — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 09:56:32 +0000

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.

By: Batty Masetto

Batty Masetto — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:31:10 +0000

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.

By: Inquest O'Redger

Inquest O'Redger — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:27:54 +0000

I have the said recording in my collection — it was a freebie. So was the Callas/Ludwig recording, which I sold a while ago, on the basis that clapped-out Joanie is less painful than clapped-out Maria. And I really could never understand the combo with Ludwig. Retsina mit Schlagsahne.

By: Cocky Kurwenal

Cocky Kurwenal — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:42:18 +0000

Inquest – I’ve always given that one a wide birth. I have the Pollione/Adalgisa scene on a Caballe compilation and see no need to visit the rest of the set

Speaking of Sutherland and period instruments, I heard a bit of her late contribution to Athalia the other day – vile!

By: Inquest O'Redger

Inquest O'Redger — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:38:37 +0000

Cocky, for a moment I thought you were referring to Dame Joan’s second recording of the work …

By: Cocky Kurwenal

Cocky Kurwenal — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:16:18 +0000

Unless I’m mistaken, Norma has already been done on period instruments, with June Anderson in a North Italian house, I think Bologna, with Barcellona as Adalgisa. The results were pretty good from an orchestral point of view, and I suppose it worked with Anderson because she is probably a higher set, lighter voice than Callas, Sutherland or Caballe, whilst still being big enough to give a convincing performance. But I think that says something about this latest Bartoli project – Anderson pulled off a lightish Norma with a period band, but Bartoli makes Anderson sound like a total amazon. Bartoli’s real strength these days seems to be in delivering salon songs a la tyrolienne.

By: Inquest O'Redger

Inquest O'Redger — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 08:59:22 +0000

Maybe Andreas Scholl would consider Amneris.

By: BeauBoi

BeauBoi — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 05:48:19 +0000

Well. I guess everyone else is having such a grand time ruining opera lately that Bartoli decided to get in on the fun. Hopefully someday we’ll have a truly talented, amazing dramatic coloratura around to sing the role WELL again.

And LOL to Sanford for his perfect parody of a Bartoli Casta Diva.

By: G.PASTA

G.PASTA — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 01:49:07 +0000

Bellini’s view on who should sing Norma: In a letter the maestro wrote to Giuditta Pasta, he stated: “you will have read how the poor (Giulia) Grisi performed Norma badly, and how all London showed displeasure at the thought of not having its favorite Pasta. I am most pleased that Grisi has now sung it in London because they wanted me to adapt it [in Paris] for her, Rubini, and Lablache. I was absolutely convinced that la Grisi never could be either Semiramide, nor Medea, nor Anna Bolena, nor Norma, and I refused the eight thousand francs they offered me: now after such an experience I hope they will not want to perform it, and thus I will be spared of seeing my poor and dear Norma torn to bits, or better stated, from a POWERFUL WOMAN, DIVINE, sublime in every aspect, become another Adalgisa, tneder and NAIVE.” Pasta did not consider Grisi in the same league as her favorite female singers: Malibran, Grassini, Catalani, Sontag, Cinti-Damereau and Pisaroni. She only had a single comment in her surviving correspondence about another artist singing Norma: Sabine Heinefetter, who created Adina for Donizetti. “Norma is too high for Mlle Heinefetter and so various times she was out of tune, but despite that was much applauded (in an 1840 Berlin performance) because she went through her part with much energy, and from time to time made beautiful [stage] pictures which even I would have applauded if art had not exceeded truth.” The soon to be published exhaustive biography of Pasta (over 600 pages) will expel many myths about this singer. A Bartoli Norma….well, who knows.

By: CerquettiFarrell

CerquettiFarrell — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:03:55 +0000

Hmmmmm OK, Bartoli as Norma, what next for her?

Oh, I know! Elektra. Besides her german is great (witnessed on her duet album with Terfel). This will be down by a third (Strauss prepared a reduced version for Gerhardt), 1909 Dresden pitch (a’=435), period strings (gut) period winds (french) and period brass (any 1960s russian instrument will do). And what a great cast they will have:

Emma Kirkby back from retirement as Chrisothemis.
Magdalena Kozena as Klytmenestra (problems with the low tessitura, but imagine the uproar of the two competing leading European light-mezzos as mother and daughter!)
David Thomas as Oreste (finally the right, noble sound, and such a care for the text!)
Rattle (of course) will conduct the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Well Gardiner can do it, too, with ORER.

I can also thing of a delightful echt Walkuere.
(Didnt you know Wagner prepared a Viardot version back in the 1850s?)
Bartoli – Brunnhilde
Bostridge – Siegmund
Miah Persson – Sieglinde (what a great O hehrstes Wunder)
Keenlyside as Wotan
Kozena (again!) as Fricka
Thomas (again) as Hunding
and we have such a great array of fine Bach singers for the Walkueres. Or soloists from the Monteverdi Choir can show their worth.
Out on Decca (first recording for the label by Sir John Eliot), this will sell and sell. Concert performances in Zurich. Wonderful L’oiseau-lyre and beautiful Deluxe packaging.

Besides, I wonder who will be considered fit for Bartoli’s Adalgisa. Maybe her older (and bigger) sister Daniella Barcellona. Florez will sing Pollione? great.

By: marshiemarkII

marshiemarkII — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 21:35:48 +0000

I know it’s just a game of what if, but that is such a total exercise in futility (like a Jessye Norman Brunnhilde!) this talking about mezzos doing Norma, wasn’t the absolute, total, unmitigated disaster that Shirley Verrett had in 79 enough to make people stop these silly fantasies? I mean the poor girl had to cancel the prima, and at least two performances could not sing Act IV, she crucified herself, and then was immolated in the pyre of the burning criticism, and for what?

Now Ms Bartoli is a joke, bon voyage!

By: ciociosan

ciociosan — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:58:45 +0000

to lindoro almaviva…

i agree with what you said about zajick, young obratsova, perhaps even blythe attempting the role of norma. i would actually want zajick to sing norma!

By: Casual Opera Fan

Casual Opera Fan — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:26:29 +0000

I am happy to see Norma “rethought” at a deep level (voice type, size, range, colors, composer’s intentions etc.).

I can deal with MANY types of Normas – even small voices or low ones or light ones or high ones, as there as there is the technique and artistry to make something of the role.

However I do not really think Bartoli is right for it in any way. I think it will be too “Baroque” but you have to give her a lot of credit for having Palli Quadri!!!

By: kashania

kashania — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:17:38 +0000

I’m willing to think outside the box but Adalgisa is as far as I’m willing to go with Bartoli. That could be interesting. But I just can’t hear her Norma being Norma.

By: Josh Carnes

Josh Carnes — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:32:11 +0000

Other than her voice, there is nothing standing in her way from being a great Norma.

By: Inquest O'Redger

Inquest O'Redger — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:14:47 +0000

Bartoli would make a fine Clotilde.

By: il_guarany

il_guarany — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:03:21 +0000

#52. And she, and her coach, must be satisfied that she can take it on.

That sentence is probably applicable to most colossal train wrecks in the history of opera.

By: harry

harry — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:58:20 +0000

Looking at that mock up of Bartoli La Cieca has done: made me think Bartoli is Mad Comics’ version of ‘the Statute of Liberty ; having gone stark raving mad, after dropping her torch’. A creature with a Brunnhilde complex wanting to light Norma’s funeral pyre and strangely consume her own career in the process. About time she was told her artistic jugment AND her vocal matches are wet, poor thing!

By: harry

harry — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:36:13 +0000

Perhaps they may have hearing aid facilities available to every seat?

By: Kundry's Therapist

Kundry's Therapist — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:02:18 +0000

Oh just fuck OFF Cecilia. Who the hell do you think you are kidding?? The Voice of a Shrew takes on The Summit of Bel Canto. I hope the Dortmund Konzerthaus doesn’t have more than 80 seats….

That is all I have to say, thank you.

By: ellie

ellie — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:20:15 +0000

Bartoli is a great artist, but she has also cultivated her career via the recording industry. Her recent forays into Bellini are only a clever stunt to keep her career going. She has a very flexible voice that allows her to sing a wide range of repertoire, but rarely is she vocally convincing. I am sure the Germans will be blown away though–they loved Gruberova as Norma even though it was quite pathetic.

By: Fame Whore

Fame Whore — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:19:35 +0000

Fame Whore asked weekly to be singink NORMA but learnink it so borink!

If Fame Whore’s husband singink Norma’s papa he can be givink Fame Whore workouts in dressink room when Norma in winks.

By: harry

harry — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:14:34 +0000

OH all those suggestions about Bartoli lowering keys for Norma? Using most likely some dusty ‘chamber’ version or other, she finds in some obscure library. She has a small voice that goes wide at certain points, as she goes up the scale.Well if she squeezes her tits hard enough at the right moments she might feign she has vocal ‘heft’ to her besotted admirers . To think it needs some operatic loving ‘Dirty Harry’ out there to tell her ‘a singer HAS to know their limitations’. Well Bartoli…………don’t scream when you get blasted for tackling ‘Bartoli’s Norma’, not Bellini’s! The chuckling is already deafening. Even if she had decided to record it with studio recording ‘enhancements’, still the skeptics would have a field day. Imagine the derision if say a Elly Ameling had announced they were adding this role to their repertoire.

Was it only a few weeks ago that people were screaming that Domingo was trashing Cilea’s Adriana Lecouverer by lowering the score to suit?

By: La marquise de Merteuil

La marquise de Merteuil — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:04:30 +0000

58. That’s very interesting to know! Down a third – sounds like the Malibran version … perhaps?

With ‘Gluck/Mozart’ pitch generally considered fractionally lower than 440 at around 430 I think, it doesn’t make for much of a difference singing… However concert A also depends WHERE in the world you were performing at that time… as it does today…

By: WindyCityOperaman

WindyCityOperaman — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:45:49 +0000

I recall Beverly Sills being interviewed on the radio back in the 70s (when her recording of Norma came out and there was lots of criticism that the role wasn’t for her) saying that in the biblioteca nationalze, or wherever the archives exist, they found a version of the opera tranposed down a third (i.e., Casta Diva in E)! If they incorporate period-instrument and tuning, I’m sure it will be a good performance of Norma. There’s no way she could sing it A440 at Scala, the Met or any of the big houses.

By: Cocky Kurwenal

Cocky Kurwenal — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:33:22 +0000

I think it’ll be dire, but I am glad she is doing it because it is high time people got over themselves and refused to accept anything less than Callas, Caballe or Sutherland in the role. Bartoli might be too far in the other direction, but at least if there are any heavy lyric or spinto sops out there who are hesitating to say yes to Norma, they might now think that if Bartoli can do it then they definitely can.

I agree with poster above who thinks Fleming’s Norma would be worth hearing, but I suppose the moment has passed for her.

By: d'agilita

d'agilita — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:24:51 +0000

Madame Fleming has decided NOT to tackle Norma. This was a wise decision. I am not deriding Bartoli as a singer when I protest her as Norma, I am stating the very obvious fact that the reqirements both vocal and histrionic, which the role requires are not IN Miss Bartoli. One would have to redeifne the part ( as so many regie productions do of entire operas ) to make her fit it and Bellini’s priestess needs no redefining. Bartoli is a fine singer and artist and in the right repertoire is very moving and exciting just not in Norma. Birgit Nilsson would not have right for Pamina. It does not mean that she was not a great singer, just that the vocal and histrionics of Pamina were not right for her.

By: Norma, Norma!

Norma, Norma! — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:56:17 +0000

Perhaps she will delight us with a new ‘critical recording’ of Norma…