Good performance. I bought it for Scotto's and Patané's performances. I'm not generally a Giaotti fan, but he does ok in this performance, even though he is a baritone and the role he sings was written for a bass. As usual, in most of these in-house recordings (especially in this era, 1974), the sound quality is between awful and execrable.

These Norma performances were Scotto's first attempts at the role. As with her Violetta, she would continue to refine her interpretation, but I don't know that she ever sang it better. "Casta diva " is beautifully sung from first note to last. There is no wobble or stressed tone anywhere and her cabaletta is fleet and exciting. More importantly, Scotto inflects the words with incredible color and imagination. No one - not even Callas - does as much with the words as Scotto does. The recitatives almost sound like Gluck (probably Bellini's intention). She and Casoni sing their big duets like champions. I was surprised that Scotto does NOT interpolate a high D at the end of Act One, a note she certainly had at that time. Her closing scene is equally moving.Casoni never had the most beautiful tone, yet she knows what she's supposed to do and does it very well. She has all of Adalgisa's high notes too. Cecchele is a manly Pollione. He ducks the C in his aria (like so many), but is otherwise very strong. Giaiotti sings an excellent Oroveso, another reliably consistent singer. Patane conducts a passionate performance.The sound is good, better in the first act than the second. It sounds like the tapist may have had to move seats: there is more hiss and some irritating bumping around of the mic. After Oroveso's aria, there is some kind of announcement about Scotto, but my Italian isn't fluent enough to fully understand what's being said.Scotto fans need this!

A great Scotto in full voice is leading a performance in which each character is well designed and interacting with the others. Casoni is surprisingly growing in intensity and voice act by act, matching Scotto in the II act. Cecchele delivers a robust Pollione. Giaiotti brings allure to the Oroveso part. Patane' conduction is dynamic, dramatic and alive.

This Norma from Torino (1974) is very interesting. Scotto is great. Her high notes are superb (listen to second CD), Casta Diva is nicely done. I liked Cecchele also. I still remember his excellent Radames in Ljubljana in July 2001. Other singers good. Orchestra very dramatic and worth listening to.

Beside Callas I find Scotto the greatest Norma and here at her prime she can give all nuances of this role. Her partners are also in excellent form and Patane leds an exciting performance

I'm not a real Scotto fan. I heard her in Norma when I was in college in Houston in around 1980 and I was definitly disappointed. That was when the bloom way way off the rose, and epitaph like "El Scremo" were rampant. So this was a real revelation to me. To bad she waited so long to do a studio performance and tour with Norma. I really enjoyed this glimpse at what could have been if she had stayed the course.

Interesting for listen to Scotto's 1st assay to the role!