NORMA:Bellini
Original Air Date: 02/17/1973
Cillario; Caballé, Cossotto, Cossutta, Tozzi
MOD Audio SID.18420745
This is from Caballe’s first run at Norma with the reliable Cossotto; they are certainly a team. Cossutta missed the premiere, and this is his debut; he would go on to do 12 more Polliones with Caballe, Galvany, and Verrett and that is his Met career. Tozzi would not be my choice for Oroveso.
This performance presents Caballe and Cossotto’s take on the Norma duo for the first time at the Met, and is preserved on Met Player as well. Norma is one of Caballe’s best roles. In terms of Norma, there was no complete broadcast of Norma with Ponselle (the Acts3-4 from 1931 do not survive as far as I’v ever heard). Ponselle is followed by Cigna and 3 broadcasts with Milanov (2 from 1944 in different seasons, and 1954 with Thebom (Barbieri only did the premiere). One of the 1944 performances at the minimum should be played, and my memory is that the Cigna is also available in decent sound. Sirius has not rebroadcast the 1982 Norma with Negri (making her house debut on the broadcast) where she replaced Scotto. Would like to hear this again.
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