Joan Sutherland • Doris Soffel • Horst Hoffmann live (1985) in NORMA - Act 1: Casta diva etc.

A great live rendition of Norma with fantastic sound quality sung by Joan Sutherland in a very expressive performance and wonderful voice for her age (nearly 59), still a formidable Norma, and Doris Soffel in her young prime, with a very fresh and youthful voice.
Vicenzo Bellini - NORMA:
Act 1 - Scene 1 [see later uploads in my channel to listen to the rest of the opera]
1. Overture [0:00]
2. Meco all'altar di Venere [14:58]
3. Sediziose voci... Casta diva [23:23]
4. Ah! bello, a me ritorna [33:39]
5. È sgombra la sacra selva [36:57]
6. Va, crudele [44:33]
• Joan Sutherland, soprano
• Doris Soffel, mezzo-soprano
• Horst Hoffmann, tenor
• Richard Bonynge, conductor
Live performance in Sweden, 1985

[@ildikobalogh3112]

Köszönöm szépen! Csodálatos!

[@rainerharald6872]

Horst Hoffmann ....fantastic

[@ahogbin2644]

Sutherland's Indian Summer year was 1985. I attended her Covent Garden Lucias the month before this and she was on similarly superlative form. Certainly a testament to her unique talent and technique. We shall not see or hear her like again!

[@OperaMyWorld]

Thank you very much!!!

[@arnoldamaral7406]

Hello my friend, Is this performance 1985?? I need the correct date in order to settle an a discussion with a friend. Thank you for all the wonderful posts. Arnold Bourbon Amaral

[@Homoclassicus]

Yes, it is a performance from May 24th 1985, in the Berwaldhallen of Stockholm.
You're welcome! ;-)

[@eberlinpascal2837]

J'ai entendu madame Sutherland beaucoup plus inspirée que dans cette Norma ,d'un goût ....comment dire .... très anglo- saxon , c'est à dire ,sans goût du tout .Très étrangère à la vocalita italienne .Ses variations dans la cabalette " ah bello a me ritorna " sont complètement hors style , incongrues ,et assez ridicules .

[@Homoclassicus]

The variations in the cabaletta are the same she always sang since the early 1960s and many other performers of Norma also did, apart from the coloratura already written in the score, which is most of the cabaletta.

[@eberlinpascal2837]

@@Homoclassicus OK alors ,mais si peu Italien tout de même .Et pour ma part c'est une faute de goût .Bien que j'estime beaucoup Sutherland dans Lucia ,Puritani ,la fille du régiment ,Lucrezia Borgia ,Esclarmonde.Mais pas dans Norma : elle est kitch. !