Deborah Riedel & Ding Yi - "Qual cor tradisti ... Deh! Non volerli vittime" NORMA (Bellini) 2004

The Australian soprano, Deborah Riedel, was beloved by colleagues and audiences alike. She commenced her operatic career as a mezzo-soprano but soon moved to the soprano repertoire - debuting as Leila in Bizet's LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES in 1986. Her Opera Australia debut came with a Susanna in 1989 though she had joined the national company as a chorister in 1983. Her roles in Australia included Pamina, Countess Maritza, Sylva Varescu in THE GYPSY PRINCESS, Donna Anna, Maria Stuarda, Norma, Violetta, the TROVATORE Leonora, Mimì, Tosca, Margeurite, the four soprano roles in LES CONTE D'HOFFMANN and Turandot. She sang with the Royal Opera Covent Garden, Paris Opera, Geneva Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Rome Opera, Vienna State Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, San Diego and many others where she added Amina, the Marschallin and Ellen Orford to her list of roles. She is heard here in the final scene of Bellini's NORMA in one of only two performances she gave of the title role. Her Pollione is Ding Yi with Bruce Martin in the role of Oroveso and the conductor is her artistic mentor - Richard Bonynge. The performance comes from the Opera Theatre of the Sydney Opera House on July 23rd 2004.