Norma
A Druid high priestess is torn between her sacred vows and forbidden love for an enemy commander. Norma has secretly had two children with her Roman lover, but when he turns his affections to another, his betrayal ignites a harrowing chain of events, forcing her to contemplate an ultimate act of revenge.
From the iconic aria ‘Casta diva’ to the opera’s devastating finale, Bellini’s score teems with bel canto brilliance and some of opera’s most emotionally charged music. As a master of the fusion of music with dramatic meaning, Bellini’s every note seems to reveal the raw, human cost of love and sacrifice. For Irish National Opera’s new production, Georgian soprano Salome Jicia sings Norma, a tour de force role of vocal artistry made famous by Callas, alongside Guatemalan tenor Mario Chang as Pollione, the Roman commander. The production is conducted by Maurizio Benini and directed by long-time INO collaborator Orpha Phelan.
Cast
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Norma
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Salome Jicia
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Pollione
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Mario Chang
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Adalgisa
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Siobhán Stagg
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Oroveso
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William Guanbo Su
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Flavio
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Aaron O'Hare
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Clotilde
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Leanne Fitzgerald
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Chorus
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Irish National Opera Chorus
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Orchestra
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Irish National Opera Orchestra
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Music
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Vincenzo Bellini
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Text
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Felice Romani
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Conductor
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Maurizio Benini
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Director
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Orpha Phelan
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Sets and costumes
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Madeleine Boyd
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Lights
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Matt Haskins
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Chorus Director
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Richard McGrath
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Story
Act I
Oroveso and his people have been under attack from the Romans for some time now and are eager to fight back. They pray that they might soon take revenge on their conquering enemies. They just need Oroveso’s daughter, Norma, who is their spiritual leader, to give them the go-ahead. Pollione, a Roman leader, confides in his right-hand man, Flavio. Even though Pollione has had two children in secret with Norma, he no longer loves her; he has in fact fallen for one of her younger colleagues, Adalgisa. He fears how Norma will react. Norma is angered when she sees her bloodthirsty followers. She counsels them to keep peace for the moment, promising them that, when the time is right, she herself will lead the revolt against the Romans.
Privately she worries for Pollione’s safety and suspects that he no longer loves her.Adalgisa prays for the strength to forget her lover, hoping to devote herself instead to the cause of her people. Pollione delivers the news that he is returning to Rome and convinces Adalgisa to run away with him the next day. Norma tells her aide, Clotilde, of her fears that Pollione will abandon her, as well as their children. Adalgisa confesses to Norma that she has a lover and is overjoyed when Norma urges her to follow her heart.
Just as Norma releases Adalgisa from her obligations, the unnamed man appears. Norma is horrified to realise that Adalgisa’s sweetheart is none other than Pollione. When Adalgisa understands the situation, she rejects Pollione.
Act II
Norma considers killing her two children, rather than have them live in disgrace as the abandoned children of a Roman. In the end, she asks Adalgisa to leave for Rome with Pollione, and to take the children with her. But Adalgisa no longer has any intention of eloping with Pollione; she promises, rather, to convince him to return to Norma. Oroveso’s followers are still hungry for war. He understands their frustrations, but advises them to keep calm and carry on. Norma learns that Adalgisa has failed to persuade Pollione to face up to his responsibilities. Norma calls on her people to wage war against the Romans. They all rally excitedly in anticipation of the battle to come. As the warriors prepare for war, a Roman intruder is found within the enclosure; when Pollione is identified, the loyalty of the women in the camp is called into question. Norma calls on her people to prepare for an execution. Tempted at first to blame Adalgisa, Norma announces that she herself is the guilty party. Moved by her strength, Pollione realises too late that Norma is the woman he truly loves and asks that he might share her fate. Norma implores Oroveso to look after his grandchildren, before she and Pollione are reunited in death.
Gallery
