Maria Callas’s defining
roles were Lucia, Tosca and, above all,
Norma. She was first admired at Verona
in 1947 singing the tragic eponymous
heroine in Ponchielli’s La Gioconda.
This was one of her first complete opera
recordings, for the Cetra label, in
September 1952 and
issued by Naxos in 2004 . More important
throughout her career was the role of
Norma. Her performances at the Teatro
Colon, Buenos Aires in the summer of
1949 brought her international recognition.
She had first sung the role in Florence
in the 1947-48 season with Fedora Barbieri
as Adalgisa. In the 1949-50 season she
sang it in Rome, Venice and Mexico.
It was her debut role at Covent Garden
in November 1952 and at the Met in 1956.
Callas’s Covent Garden performances,
with Ebe Stignani as Adalgisa, caused
an eruption of critical approbation
in London. In his office at the London
headquarters of Columbia Records (Angel
in the USA), I don’t doubt that Walter
Legge, head of Artist and Repertoire,
felt like the cat who had found the
double cream. He had, in July of that
year, signed Callas to an exclusive
contract. Over the following ten years
she made studio recordings of 21 complete
operas, and many recital discs. These
constituted the core of the Columbia
(later part of EMI) operatic catalogue.
Many of these recordings remained in
the catalogue, and at full price, for
over forty years until the expiry of
copyright approached. A number were
then issued at mid-price in the ‘Great
Recordings of the Century’ series. Now,
working from the finest available LP
copies, Naxos is making the recordings
available at bargain price as they emerge
from copyright restrictions. The restoration
engineer, Mark Obert-Thorn, with his
usual estimable care and skill, achieves
a quality of reproduction on these CDs
that to my ears is superior to that
which EMI, the owner of the master tapes,
has thus far obtained. The solo voices
are clear and forwardly balanced without
depriving the orchestral contribution
of its due. Listening to the choral
climaxes (CD 1 tr. 2 and CD 3 tr.9)
they are commendably free of overload.
The founder, and an
editor, of the UKs prestigious Opera
Magazine saw the 1952 performances of
Norma at Covent Garden. They, and other
younger critics who were present, were
overwhelmed by the performances of Callas
and Stignani in particular. It may be
that the reaction to those performances
has disproportionately influenced critical
opinion of Callas’s recorded legacy,
with insufficient weight being given
to the serious vocal shortcomings that
the singer developed. Without her vivid
and vivacious stage presence these shortcomings
became all too obvious. In the autumn
of 2003, EMI issued a recording taken
from those Covent Garden performances.
Both Callas and Stignani are certainly
in fresher voice than in this studio
recording made in April 1954. The supporting
tenor is better too. I personally find
the disadvantages of the live recording
far outweigh the benefits. Despite its
limitations, it is to this recording
I return to hear Callas’s portrayal
of Norma. There is also a stereo remake
of September 1960 where the Pollione
of Franco Corelli and the Oroveso of
Nicola Zaccaria are infinitely better
than their barely adequate counterparts
on this recording. However, on that
stereo remake Callas’s voice is, to
say the least, approaching threadbare
and insecure, artifice being no substitute
for true vocal quality and tonal substance.
Why Walter Legge waited
until 1954 to record Callas’s Norma
I do not know. She is not in the fresh
voice heard in the Lucia
recording made fourteen months before
and Norma would have been a better bet
than the I
Puritani he chose for the soprano’s
second recording . As the La Scala theatre
was in use, for Tebaldi singing Tosca,
Legge had to use another venue in Milan.
None the less, this recording catches
her individual approach to one of the
most demanding roles in the repertoire.
Norma is the only great bel canto
opera to have maintained its place
in the roster of the world’s opera houses
since its composition through to the
bel canto revival of the early
1950s, often with Callas at its centre.
In the crux of the opera, when Norma
first learns of Pollione’s dalliance
with Adalgisa (CD 2 tr. 6) and then
intends to kill their children (CD 2
trs. 10-12) the nature of Callas’ interpretation
is evident. It is not concerned with
beautiful singing in the manner of Sutherland
(Decca) or Caballé (RCA). It
is a dramatic interpretation, together
with the odd vocal flaw, of Norma’s
many emotions and situations and is
overwhelming in its emotional impact.
The appendices, restored
from 78 rpm shellacs by the redoubtable
Ward Marston, are well chosen. Particularly
welcome are Ezio Pinza’s rendering of
Oroveso’s Ite sul colle, o Druidi!
(CD 3 tr. 11) and Ah! Del Tebro
al giogo indegno (CD 3 tr. 16).
They are sung with vocal strength,
incisive diction and tonal sonority.
They regrettably serve to further highlight
what is lacking in Rossi-Lemeni’s singing
on the complete opera. I welcomed Pinza’s
singing of Raimondo’s aria in the appendices
of the parallel issue of the Callas
Lucia mentioned above. Naxos could gainfully
issue a collection of his singing. I
am sure it would find a ready market,
as would a collection of Rosa Ponselle
in this fach to go with her disc of
Verdi arias (Naxos 8.110728). Described
as one of the greatest singers of the
century, Ponselle had a rich toned,
well-covered voice, even over its range.
The Met revived Norma, among other roles,
for her. It is interesting to compare
her singing of Norma’s prayer Casta
Diva (CD 3 tr. 13) with that of
Callas (CD 1 tr. 10) in respect of movement
through the register, use of vocal colouring
and overall dramatic effect. Equally
captivating is Ponselle with Marion
Telva as Adalgisa in Mira, o Norma
(CD 3 tr. 16). The role was originally
written for the soprano voice. After
all, Adalgisa is a young virgin of the
temple not Norma’s mother. Putting that
matter aside, both this rendering and
that of Callas and Stignani (CD 2 tr.
15) constitute fine singing and characterisation.
The Metropolitan Opera Chorus in vibrant
voice accompanies all the above excerpts.
However, when it comes to vibrancy of
singing the trio Deh! Non volerii
vittime (CD 3 tr. 16) is an example
of the Italian tradition in this fach
in the inter-war years. Gina Cigna is
more vehement and declamatory in style
and uses more vibrato than either Callas
or Ponselle. With Gui on the podium
the effect is viscerally exciting despite
it not reflecting, or even respecting,
the long flowing cantilena that
we now look for in Bellini’s operas.
As well as letting us hear other famous
singers in this opera, these appendices
add richness to the whole re-issue of
Callas’s portrayal of a role that was
central to her international recognition
and like Tosca remained in her
repertoire.
Returning to the main
focus of this issue: The manner in which
Callas colours her voice and the way
she moves through the vocal register
is very individual and not to every
taste. If it is to yours then this Naxos
realisation of the 1954 studio recording
is in the best sound I have so far heard
of this performance and is recommended
as such.
Robert J Farr
see also review
by Göran Forsling
Chorus and Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala, Milan/Tullio
Serafin 
