Bellini - Norma / Bonynge, Sutherland, Troyanos, Canadian Opera Company
By 1981, when this production was taped for Canadian television, Joan  Sutherland's voice was unquestionably past its prime. But even in its decline,  that voice remained something quite special, and the role of the troubled Druid  priestess Norma was one of her specialties. A substantial advantage in this  recording is the presence at the podium of her husband and coach, Richard  Bonynge, who had a deep understanding of the strengths and limitations of her  voice and stage persona. His pacing and balance give the voice opportunities to  challenge, at least momentarily, the ravages of time.Lotfi Mansouri, one of the great operatic entrepreneurs of the late 20th  century, assembled a first-class supporting cast for Sutherland--most notably  Tatiana Troyanos, to whose memory this video is dedicated. The performance of  Troyanos in the role of the younger and equally troubled priestess Adalgisa is  outstanding and would make this disc worth having even without its documentation  of Sutherland. As far as it is possible to determine, this is the only video  opera appearance of tenor Francisco Ortiz. On the basis of his performance as  the Roman officer Pollione, he seems to have deserved more attention. Bass  Justino Diaz gives a sterling performance as the old Druid Oroveso, and this  production is, overall, preferable to the earlier Australian Opera video of  Sutherland'sNorma.--Joe McLellan