"Norma" by Bellini

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Image courtesy of Palau de la Música Catalana.

Norma is considered one of the pinnacles of the bel canto style, cultivated by Bellini himself, Donizetti, and other composers of the time. This style gives prominence to vocal expressiveness, with long, dramatic melodies, such as those heard in the famous aria Casta diva, one of the most challenging pieces in the soprano repertoire.

With a libretto by Felice Romani, Bellini’s regular librettist, the action takes place in Gaul during the Roman occupation, around 50 BCE. Norma is a priestess who is bound to remain a virgin, but she has a secret relationship with Pollione, the leader of the Roman enemies, with whom she has two children. When he grows tired of her and turns to a young novice, Adalgisa, Norma is devastated. But in the end, with Pollione in her hands as a prisoner, she publicly confesses to having broken her vows and accepts her punishment: to die at the stake alongside Pollione, who is moved by the nobility and courage of this woman.

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