Maria Callas returns to one of her most iconic roles in this legendary 1952 recording of Bellini's Norma, captured live with the La Scala Orchestra and Chorus under Tullio Serafin. Bellini's opera places extreme demands on the soprano, requiring both dramatic power and the agility to navigate fiendishly difficult coloratura passages. Callas embodies the role completely—she is the conflicted priestess, lover, and mother all at once. The supporting cast is excellent, the chorus of monks haunting and imposing, and Serafin conducts with an understanding of bel canto style that makes the music breathe naturally. This is Callas at her peak in one of her greatest vehicles.