Change my mind about Joan Sutherland’s Norma

Joan Sutherland as Norma is something I’ve never been able to get.

All the notes are there, but it’s an absolute consonant-free zone. The way she dipthongs the vowels means the whole thing sounds like she’s singing under water. There’s no fire, no characterization. This clip also highlights something about Sutherland: she’s not very musical. There’s something so foursquare about the way she phrases. The most apt adjective I can think of for this is “soothing” and I’d never say that about any other top Norma.

Comments

Sign up for Parterre’s free newsletter.

Exclusive opera reviews, commentary, and top reads
delivered to your email weekly…ish.