Cristina Deutekom sings an impressive Norma here. Her high pianissimi are beautiful, her coloratura a little gargly, her interpolated high notes thrilling. She also isn't afraid to use chest voice in Norma's more angry moments. Callas and Gencer find more specific colors in the role, but Deutekom's Norma remains a solid achievement. Del Monaco still has a ringing voice with some clarion high notes, but seems unable to sing legato. He always ducked the written top C in his aria, but his interpolated B-flat at its conclusion is held onto for quite some time. As Joe Pearce writes below, he seems to know where the mics are and tries valiantly to drown out Deutekom's top D at the end of Act One (and nearly succeeds). He may have been startled by her interpolated E-flat at the end of "In mia man" ("Callas didn't do that!"), but rallies with a huge high B at the end of the opera. He is never subtle, but he is Del Monaco and that's saying something. Parutto had recently switched to mezzo after singing soprano for a number of years. She blends well with Deutekom, sounding a bit like Marilyn Horne sometimes. Oddly, the a capella cadenza at the end of the first duet is cut. Giaiotti is a solid Oroveso. De Fabritiis knows the score well and leads a strong performance. There seem to be at least two tape sources used for this performance as the sound in Act One is overmiked, but clear; in Act Two the voices are more recessed, but less blaring.For fans of the singers.

HI !Unfortunately the record has not arrived ,so I cannot revievwe it !HL

Well, we were warned. But here is Del Monaco near the end of his career, seemingly possessed of all the tonal refulgence, power and enthusiasm of his prime, but totally innocent of how to produce a legato line. He roars and bellows and avoids even the easiest niceties of vocalism. I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT! Nobody ever went to a performance or bought a recording of Mario Del Monaco because they wanted to hear Tito Schipa, so all is well on that point. Deutekom is a very good Norma, especially in her rather Morse Code runs, and Parutto is a surprisingly effective Adalgisa for someone who also sang the TROVATORE Leonora in her career. Giaiotti is always good. I thought the sound on this excellent, the singers being pretty close up and always hearable. In fact MDM must have learned the position of the pick-up microphone, because he always seems to be singing into it. In the trio that ends the first act (for me the most exciting music in the entire opera), he is so in-your-audio-face that poor Deutekom has to struggle to be heard; even when she takes that phenomenal top note to end the act, Mario is out there in front of her to let the audience know that the opera is all about Pollione when he is singing it. What's not to like?

Poor audio.Too many pages of overload/distortion.Audio sample not typical of rest of the Opera