Marta Torbidoni as Norma at Teatro alla Scala / Photo: Brescia e Amisano
Many Italians were dismayed at the country’s inability to qualify for its third consecutive World Cup, and even La Scala seems hesitant to foreground its native children. This is clearer nowhere than in the case of soprano Marta Torbidoni.
In the past year, two of its highest profile new productions, Norma and Nabucco, started as projects for Marina Rebeka and Anna Netrebko, respectively, but ended up with Torbidoni singing a third of the scheduled performances in both runs, often at the last minute. (In one case this spring, reportedly, Netrebko simply didn’t get back to the theater on time.) Similarly to how the Met seems to keep the highly capable Chiara Isotton in the wings for its verismo operas, Torbidoni, who currently studies with Mariella Devia, seems to be on retainer for bel canto parts.
Listeners can judge for themselves how Torbidoni measures up in this exciting clip of her Scala debut “run” which also features Antonio Poli, another second-cast Italian tenor on the Scala roster, and Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, who will be Milan’s Anna Bolena in next season. Torbidoni will return to La Scala next season for three performances of Lady Macbeth in a new production that will open with Anastasia Bartoli.
Bellini: Norma, “Oh! Rimembranza!… Oh, non tremare”
Norma: Marta Torbidoni
Adalgisa: Vasilia Berzhanskaya
Pollione: Antonio Poli
Conductor: Fabio Luisi
Teatro alla Scala
14 July 2025
In-house recording
