New Page 0

Norma

VINCENZO BELLINI

Performances

13 January 1935 - Malta Royal Opera House - Monti, Gallo, Sciacqui, Benatti; Cordone

23 May 1950 - Mexicco City, Palacio de Bellas Artes - Callas, Baum, Moscona, De los Santo; Picco

3 November 1951 - Catania, Teatro Bellini - Callas, Penno, Christoff/Wolowsky, Cannizzaro; Ghione

15 June 1953 - Covent Garden - Callas, Sutherland, Picchi, Neri; Pritchard

22 August 1954 - Bilbao, Teatro Coliseo Albia - Pedrini, Turrini, Petri, Mercuriali; Parenti

1 November 1954 - Lyric Opera Chicago - Callas, Picchi, Rossi Lemeni, Lind; Rescigno

22 August 1955 - Bilbao, Teatro Coliseo Albia - Pedrini, Vertecchi, Neri; Quadri

7 December 1955 - La Scala - Callas, Del Monaco, Zaccaria, Zampieri; Votto

18 July 1957 - Arena di Verona - Cerquetti, Corelli/Puma, Neri; Molinari Pradelli

21 February 1958 - Palermo, Teatro Massimo - Cerquetti, Corelli, Modesti; Serafin

16 July 1958 - Lyon, Teatro de Fourviere, Curtis-Verna, Del Monaco, Clabassi; Bogo

9 January 1965 - La Scala - Gencer, Prevedi/Cecchele, Zaccaria, De Palma; Gavazzeni

14 May 1965 - Paris, Teatro National de l'Opera - Callas, Cecchele, Vinco; Pretre

Photographs

Recordings

23 May 1950 - Mexicco City, Palacio de Bellas Artes - Callas, Baum, Moscona, De los Santo; Picco

27 May 1950 - Mexicco City, Palacio de Bellas Artes - Callas, Baum, Moscona, De los Santo; Picco

7 December 1955 - La Scala - Callas, Del Monaco, Zaccaria, Zampieri; Votto

9 January 1965 - La Scala - Gencer, Prevedi, Zaccaria, De Palma; Gavazzeni

14 May 1965 - Paris, Teatro National de l'Opera - Callas, Cecchele, Vinco; Pretre

17 May 1965 - Paris, Teatro National de l'Opera - Callas, Cecchele, Vinco; Pretre

Reviews

June 1953 "...a great personal triumph for Maria Meneghini Callas and Giulietta Simionato. Their perfect sympathy in the duets brought prolonged cheers and a dozen curtain calls after the first scene of the second act" The Star, June 21 1953.

December 1955 "Simionato allayed our reservations that her natural tendency to pathos and sweetness in her singing would prevent her from identifying with Adalgisa. She kept up with Callas from a vocal as well as dramatic point of view, and perhaps surpassed her at times. Her singing was animated with an amorous and sad sweetness, with an Italianate expressiveness, abandoned and yet artistically composed." Aleco Toni, La Notte, Dec. 8 1955. These performances inaugurated the La Scala season, an occurrence which Simionato would twice share with Callas. The opening night saw the Italian President in the audience and was notable also in that it was Del Monaco's first Pollione.

July 1957 "The voice that clearly dominated all others was Giulietta Simionato, a mezzo-soprano who has been conspicuous heretofore as one of the most classical and competent singers. Surely it is difficult to bring together beauty of timbre and colour, intonation and theatricality, a wide range and concise accents. In this woman a unique musical intelligence has been married to exceptional vocal gifts." Carlo Bologna, Arena, Jul. 19 1957.

January 1965 "For her part Simionato reached another peak in her career that looks miraculous. Always impressive as Adalgisa, particularly in the middle and lower registers, the rich and vibrant voice was resplendent with emotion, both sweet and penetrating, whose warmth communicated a humanity to the even effusions and recitatives as well as a seductive fascination." Franco Abbiati, Corriere della Sera, Jan. 10 1965

Janurary 1965 "[Simionato] was in good voice, though not without some harshness that might be avoided if she would break herself out of the habit off adding difficulties to a score that is already full of them. Even so, Simionato renewed the success she achieved 10 years ago as Adalgisa." Eugenio Montale, Corriere d'Informazione, Jan. 11 1965.

Anecdotes

On tour in Mexico in 1950 Callas and Simionato were engaged to sing Norma. One day they had eaten some tropical fruit and both felt unwell as a result, especially during the duet, which did not pass unnoticed by the critics who commented that although it was well sung, neither was at their best. It is possible to judge for oneself as this performance was recorded.
Simionato was to have made a recording of Norma in Rome in September of 1958 with Anita Cerquetti as Norma and Maestro Gavazzeni at the helm. Unfortunately the sessions never came to be.
The 1953 Covent Garden Norma saw three great soprani on stage, as opposed to the usual two. A young Joan Sutherland took on the small role of Clothilde, years later she was to sing alongside Simionato in two important productions, Gli Ugonotti and Semiramide, both at La Scala.