Norma

Norma is a Gaulish druid priestess who is committed to the peace-bringing goddess of the moon and fertility.

She refuses to give the war-hungry Gauls the signal to revolt against Roman rule. She keeps the two children she has had in secret marriage to the Roman Pollione hidden from her compatriots. When her husband tries to cheat on her with a younger woman, her existence threatens to collapse. She overcomes the temptation to kill her children and punish her rival. Her self-disclosure saves their lives.

"Norma tells a domestic story, the story of a very special family. A theme that plays a role in every family is the secret. Norma is secretly in love with an enemy of the country. And from this union, two children are born whose parentage must be kept secret. At the center of this exciting story is a very strong woman: she is the spiritual leader, the priestess of her people, but she also has a political function. She is also a mother and a lover. Many aspects of female identity are combined in her character. This very, very strong, very complex female figure is at the mercy of an extremely patriarchal system against which she has to assert herself. She is in search of freedom - her personal freedom in a patriarchal structure." (Cyril Teste)

Vincenzo Bellini's opera Norma is known for its beautiful music and emotional climaxes. Particularly famous is the prayer of the high priestess to the moon goddess ("Casta diva"), the seductive song of the Roman proconsul Pollione ("Vieni a Roma...") and the duets between the high priestess and the novice, which impressively demonstrate the harmony and tension between two soprano voices.

These musical masterpieces are embedded in a structure rich in contrasts. It ranges from a passionate overture to the mysterious atmosphere of the nocturnal introduction to powerful ensemble confrontations and rousing choral numbers. Bellini makes targeted use of the orchestra to intensify the dramatic moments on stage.

A highlight is the grand finale, in which Norma's plaintive song to her father unites all the voices and lifts the action to an almost supernatural level.

Bellini created his opera together with his preferred librettist, Felice Romani, who was admired for the elegance, melodiousness and pathos of his verses, and for the tragedienne Giuditta Pasta, who had set new standards in Rossini's seria roles: the acting soulfulness of her roles was considered unparalleled and her voice fascinated with its unprecedented modulation and expressiveness. The tragedy of the same name by Alexandre Soumet, which had recently been created in Paris, was chosen as the model for the new opera. In a letter, Bellini wrote to Pasta with the following words: "I hope that this subject will suit your taste: Romani considers it very effective and appropriate for your encyclopaedic character."

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(Source: wiener-staatsoper.at)