Here we have one complete Norma and highlights (about an hour and 20 minutes) from three other performances of the opera, with Leyla Gencer–the “Pirate Queen”–in the title role. To be sure, she’s at her peak here (1964 and ’65), with everything we love about her in evidence: thorough commitment; staggering, long, high pianissimos that are as interesting as they are appropriate; long breaths; and an ability to express rage, tenderness, and everything in between. And we also get the usual alarming register breaks, occasional flat singing, and sloppy fiorature–but also as usual, the mistakes take a back seat to the overall effect.
Gencer’s Norma is imperious and commanding, and while lacking Callas’ insights, Caballé’s tonal allure, and Sutherland’s dazzling security, it’s an important portrayal and her fans won’t want to miss this. Giulietta Simionato is a sympathetic Adalgisa, though not in anywhere near fresh voice, and tenor Bruno Prevedi bawls out Pollione’s lines with the kinds of emphatic sobs and barks that give tenors a bad name, all the while doing so with good, ringing tone.
The other 80 minutes also feature Prevedi, who is exactly the same, whether in Buenos Aires in 1964 or Naples in ’65, and Fiorenza Cossotto, a superb, welcomely understated Adalgisa in Verona and Naples in 1965. Gencer also remains the same, delivering a line slightly more or less securely here or there. Gianandrea Gavazzeni leads the complete performance with excitement, and Nicola Zaccaria adds a severe Oroveso to the show. The sound is not too bad in the complete performance; it varies in the others. You’ll know if you need this.
