NORMA

NORMA:Bellini
Original Air Date: 02/28/1976
Masini; Caballé, Verrett, Alexander, Michalski
SID.19220211
I was at this performance which was very exciting. Verrett takes just about every option ever imagined for an Adalgisa, and with Alexander as a very strong partner–one of the most frequent partners for Sutherland, Caballe, Tebaldi, Leontyne Price, Beverly Sills, he was among the most accomplished tenors around as comfortable with Mozart as he was with French opera. Verrett moves up to Norma title role two months later on Met tour in Boston– quite a spectacular evening for her. I saw one of this run, and Verrett was to do her first Norma (title role) two months later with the Met on tour which I saw. Caballe is in better voice on her earlier effort with Cossotto (her best ever in most people’s eyes and ears was the Orange Norma (on Hardy video). This is Verrett at very close to her absolute peak, and she does many of the interpolations heard on her studio Adalgisa with Sills. John Alexander is a very solid Pollione (and of course sang the role with Sutherland as well). He was an extremely versatile singer with technique to take him from Mozart (Ferrando at the beginning of his career, Arbace (Idomeneo) at the end to Richard Strauss, Wagner at the end. A propos of fine Cassios in Otello, he is on the Santi second season McCracken broadcast from 1964. His 379 Met performances over 26 years is a distinguished legacy