Description

One of the standards of the operatic repertoire, Norma is Bellini s masterpiece, a work of great emotional power and radiant melody, celebrated for its purity of style and an ecstatic unfolding of sonority. Based on a French play of the same name by Soumet, Norma concerns the tragic love of a Roman consul and a Druid high priestess, set against a background of war and national entanglements. The premiere took place at La Scala in 1831, and although Bellini felt the first performance was a fiasco, the public soon came to realize the worth of Norma. Besides its popularity with opera goers, Bellini s most important serious opera is also significant for its influence on Verdi and Wagner. And while the work s demanding score and pure vocalizing present a daunting challenge to singers, Norma remains one of the most frequently performed and recorded operas.