Why all great sopranos are drawn to Bellini's Norma (The Royal Opera)

Bellini’s bel canto masterpiece Norma had its premiere at La Scala, Milan, on Boxing Day 1831. After a muted initial response the opera quickly became popular, and is now a mainstay of the repertory.
Find out more: www.roh.org.uk/productions/nor...
Norma is perhaps most acclaimed as a vehicle for the lead soprano, and indeed Bellini provides some astonishing vocal fireworks for his title character - most famously ‘Casta diva’, Norma’s Act I hymn to the chaste moon, and Act II’s ‘Dormono entrambi’, as she contemplates the unthinkable act of killing her children. But the opera’s dramatic potency rests in its breathtaking ensembles, most strikingly in Norma’s duets with Pollione and Adalgisa, the Act I trio ‘Vanne, sì: mi lascia, indegno’ and the blistering Act II finale.
This new production of Norma is The Royal Opera’s first in nearly thirty years. Directing is Àlex Ollé, of the Catalan collective La Fura dels Baus, reunited with the creative team behind his acclaimed production of Oedipe. They give Norma a contemporary setting against a backdrop of a cruel civil war, and focus on the opera’s exploration of the conflict between an individual’s own desires and those of her society - and of religion as a force for unity and for destruction.

[@revgif3205]

Saw this last night streamed live. Magnificent. Extraordinary singing from the three princpials

[@wilsonwatt9283]

The idea that Norma did not want or choose the role she plays in society is mistaken. She is the daughter of the chief Druid and was raised to be the high priestess. [A modern parallel is Queen Elizabeth II who, once her father became King knew what her life role would be and learned it and accepted it]. Then she gives in to her human feelings [perhaps like Elizabeth's uncle Edward except he refused the burden of the role]. Here we have some sort of weird distortion of the story to meet some director's crazed vision of the problems of Christianity. I agree with the other posters who say write your own opera if you want to portray pjroblems with your views of current religions.

[@TCt83067695]

I love the shade lol

[@alvaromunozvega1330]

Totally right. Stage directors are trully despicable

[@fotiskaras9654]

It should be "why all great (?) sopranos are drowned in Bellini's Norma".

[@arrassip]

Callas, Caballé, Cerquetti, Ponsele, Sutherland,....all the rest is very small, including this prodution of Norma.

[@user-uv7cc3dp7y]

For me, Anita Cerquetti was the greatest performer of Norma even in your wonderful list. Just listen 'Casta diva' aria which sounds like a purest prayer only in her singing. No falsehood or pretentiousness!

[@judygarland7186]

@@user-uv7cc3dp7y no one can touch Callas as norma. PLEASE. WHAT AM I READING

[@amandaweemes6091]

“Casts Diva” is one of the hardest songs I’ve ever attempted. It’s so beautiful.

[@henrytudor8537]

I think of Norma, I think of Callas

[@user-uv7cc3dp7y]

I think of ANITA CERQUETTI! In 'Norma" she was greater than Callas...

[@wilsonwatt9283]

What a shame that no one today seems to trust the stories of the bel canto operas. Directors and stage designers seem to think that everything needs to be brought into some more modern period, even when such "updating" actually undermines the well-worked-out emotional drama that the music supports. We see this all the time nowadays [e.g., see the finale of Roberto Devereux with Radvanovsky looking like some hag out of a horror movie which would never have happened as Elizabeth the First would never have appeared before her court in that way]. It is clear that in that production the designer and director did not trust the music and the performer to provide the necessary "context" and so distorted the entire scene into some B movie horror show. One can see the power of a proper presentation in films of Sills in the same scene. Here we see Norma as some sort of "female priest" [the idiotic confessional; the clear use of a priest's collar, etc.] which is completely antithetical to the entire story. Norma is a high priestess of a PRE-CHRISTIAN nature-based religion and the costumes and the sets completely destroy any sense of that. Bellini is writing about the conflict cause for three by the intersection of two cultures and the entire production here completely misses the point.

[@duckdodgers3574]

Christianity absorbed plenty of things of pagan religions to make the conversion easier so; at least only with Casta Diva; it could work, the worship of the Goddess is now given to the Virgin Mary. Sure, you could replace the romans with a different group if you really want to have it in modern times or set it in the times when the romans fought against Christianity or but there's no point in it.

[@SteveL2012]

SR also sounds “like some hag dragged out of a horror movie.” So at least she’s consistent. Couldn’t agree more on the remainder of your comments.

[@iseetheWAYVision]

❤

[@Sunshine-zm1fx]

For a split second, at :45 seconds, I though the conductor was a young Stephen Fry. Just for a split second.

[@TCt83067695]

Is Sempre Libre also sang in the same play? Both Casta Diva and Sempre Libre?

[@jorgeperera3816]

Quisiera saber porque las casas de opera hacen esos horrores de producciones ? Porque contratan a tanta mediocridad que lo que hacen es alejar personas del teatro .Respeten a Bellini, por favor

[@khaled7aleh]

💕💕

[@tiagodelode9368]

Covent Garden volvé a la versión original. Para cambiar y destruir, es mejor conservar y respetar. Una cosa es innovar otra muy distinta es sacar de contexto. donde lo que se dice cantando no tiene un gramo de coherencia con lo que se está viendo. Realmente pueden hacer lo que quieran, son los dueños. El público está dibujado para estos señores. Como mínimo merecemos explicaciones. Menos mal que no tuve que desaprobar a Netrebko en esta producción. Realmente increible. o sea no se cree. Y lo peor que los cantantes son los reenes de estos tipos. Papano, dejá de hacerle la corte a esta gente.

[@mercedesc4824]

Wait why were there crucifixes everywhere? Why was she dressed like a priest?

[@onigbajamo]

This is a new interpretation/s

[@YvonneSLa]

They made the druids looked like KKK too! Since when the druids were cross carrying Christians ?

[@wilsonwatt9283]

This is a typical travesty which represents one of the worst trends in opera today. The complete abandonment of the actual story of the opera to make the director feel good about him/her self. This violates the music, the drama, and the entire meaning of the work, as one of the others reply indicates below. It is so unfortunate that we no longer seem to have great opera directors [like Visconti and Wieland Wagner] whose productions never violated the music even when being creative and original.

[@philipc67]

Because they had an idiot director that’s why.

[@wilsonwatt9283]

It seems to me here that Pappano was trying to make a hit for Covent Garden rather than actually contributing any real musical knowledge to the discussion of this great opera. Certainly, the singers we hear seem to have no real understanding of what is involved in bel canto technique, in the dramatic use of the voice in Bellini [as opposed say to Mascagni who the soprano seems to think wrote her music], or in the actual drama of the story for which the staging here is utterly ridiculous. Too bad as Pappano is a great conductor, perhaps just having a bad day here.

[@DavidAsset78]

Yet another ridiculous production of Norma from the Royal Opera. About 20 years ago, I saw the premiere of the Norma production that was mounted for Margaret Price, who cancelled the night I saw it. The production was horrendous with a set looking like the inside of a coffee can.

[@alejandrosotomartin9720]

Sorry Alex but this production makes no sense at all. Compliments to the musicians.

[@milenademina5012]

Зачем использовать христианскую символику

[@wotan10950]

It’s heresy, but I don’t understand why Norma is such a big deal. Violetta is a much richer role. And if you want Bellini, Puritani has greater music, as does Sonnambula and even Beatrice di Tenda. I saw as Norma in the theater Sutherland, Verrett, and Radvanovsky. I was so bored.

[@wilsonwatt9283]

The problem with Norma [and with Bellini in general] is that the music for the principals presents an exquisite confrontation between the personal and the political but the crowd scenes and transitions feel as though they are just there because opera conventions of the times demanded it [the choral entry and exit around the Casta Diva; the Guerra chorus; etc.]. The greatest problem is that Norma herself demands a great vocal technician, with an incredibly emotive voice; and great acting ability to bring all of the varying and sometime subtle aspects of the character to life. Violetta is also a complex character but her emotions are much more obvious and the music carries the character in the orchestra as well as for the singer whereas Bellini expects the singer to provide everything needed for the character.

[@laurentiuion832]

Yoncheva is not even a mediocre Norma. Not even close. Don't mention the horrible costumes and insulting use of crosses in the pegan atmosphere of this opera! Just disappointing!

[@mauricioszwerdszarf1455]

This production makes no sense at all. ridiculous.

[@arnoldamaral7406]

Think of all the money they waste in these misguided, misinformed. Opera productions. It's so idiotic. If they had. sopranos. That could sing Norma. well. This would not be happening. Also appealing to the un educated public gives directors free reign. To make a masterpiece, an absolute horrible production, shame on them, shame on them indeed. Arnold Bourbon Amaral 😔

[@natalijaargenta959]

Ugly modern staging sacrilege for Norma. The Met version is epic in staging also saw beautiful old amphitheatre of Taormina stage it in Sicilia. Could not stand to see this version.

[@flamengotv4784]

I didn't like the dresses.

[@herrbrucvald6376]

If he had had any decency, it was the director Àlex Ollé who should have lept onto the fire, not Norma. The opera is not about fanaticism, sorry. Yeah, we get it, Catholic = oppression = fascism. Please give the 30's-fascism production trope a rest already. What a god-awful ugly misguided production. Yoncheva and Calleja are perfect casting---for Flavio and Clotilde.

[@CarlosHernandez-vv6bx]

Tendría que escucharla entera para valorarla musicalmente. De lo que he oído, el que menos me gusta es Calleja. Pero lo que me parece horrible es la producción. Ni tiene nada que ver con Norma, ni aporta nada.

[@moirbasso7051]

I would have used this in class, but the overt importation of Christian symbols, and making a woman a Catholic [sic] priest, is a travesty and an insult. I'll look elsewhere for an informative video, that is true to both history and gender.

[@MrMin316]

There's only one soprano could who could sing the way Bellini wrote it....La Stupenda!!! This production is the worst i have a ever seen. Why producer's think they know more than the composer is beyond me....Bellini=Druids....NORMA=SUTHERLAND!

[@ms.chaewon9231]

mickthemike nope. It's LA DIVINA.

[@arnoldamaral7406]

Samuel Pedrosa III It's La Superba 👑 Arnold Bourbon Amaral