LYRA
(No. 71-72, July-August 1949)

     LYRA: "Bellini’s Norma".

     [...] The version of Norma offered in the municipal auditorium in the sixth performance of the subscription series must be considered excellent overall. In particular, it is interesting to hear the voice of the Greek soprano Maria Callas again in order to form a definitive judgment on her qualities as singer and interpreter, since we were unable to do so during her initial appearance before our public in Puccini’s Turandot.
     In the role of Bellini’s protagonist, Maria Callas reaffirmed the best of her début and revealed other aspects of her expressive vocal art that must be considered as the best there is. Even when the voice was not used aggressively, her uneven registers and tense high notes impressed more favorably this time because of the suggestive beauty of her middle voice, the extension and agility of her tessitura, the richness of her dramatic temperament, and her excellent skill as an actress. This was especially evident in the finale of "Casta diva", performed and sung in magnificent style.
     Outstanding was the Adalgisa of Fedora Barbieri was an outstanding Adalgisa, and the bass Nicola Rossi-Lemeni gave us an Oroveso of noble bearing and generous voice. [...]
     Maestro Tullio Serafin set a standard on the podium, outlining details of the score with security while emphasizing the distinctive lyric and dramatic passages. He led a well-disciplined orchestra that at times produced a little more sonority than was necessary. [...] José M. Fontova.