Norma

Reviewed by Holly Bartges

It’s over, and it’s a shame. A rare treat for Colorado audiences to hear, see and experience Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma directed by James Robinson for Opera Colorado. It was a masterpiece of voice, sound, and sight with a limited run at the Elle Caulkins Opera House. This was the first time Norma has been produced by Opera Colorado, and the first time it has been performed in Colorado for more than a century. Hopefully, it won’t be another hundred years before it graces the Elle’s stage. Musically and lyrically was opera at its finest, and theatrically it was drama at its most demanding and appealing.

Based on a play written by Lois Alexandre Soumet with the Libretto written by Felice Romani, it showers an honest gripping story of savage love, brutality, deception, power, and unyielding authority.

This particular production featured five international world renown opera stars making their Opera Colorado Debut: soprano, Hasmik Papian; bass, Raymond Aceto; tenor, Philip Webb; tenor, Sean Panikkar; and mezzo soprano, Irina Mishura.

Norma goes back to the days of Gaul during the Roman occupation around 50 B.C. What the Druids prize and treasure most, the Romans take great pride in destroying. In the beginning, Oroveso (Aceto), the Archdruid and the Druid soldiers await the rising of the moon in the middle of their sacred forest for Norma, (Papian), Oroveso’s daughter, and the Druid High Priestess to arrive to perform the sacred rite of cutting the prophetic bough of mistletoe.

Because of the vocal demands of the singers, this opera isn’t performed very often, and because of the demands, Opera Colorado’s production allowed for a day in between the performances. The orchestra conducted by Stephen Lord, nearly became its own character fully costumed, with its own finesse wrapped in its own glory.

The result for this production was simply breath taking on all aspects. The quality of the voices left the mouth open in awe. Robinson prevailed with the acting quality so the actors honestly came alive with who they were and what they were doing. The tension created as the story unraveled was deeply felt. To bring together the dramatic quality as well as the voice stands as a magnificent tribute not only to Robinson’s insight, but also to this particular cast.

Norma’s lover just happens to be Pollione, (Webb), the Roman proconsel, who just happens to have fallen out of love with her and fallen in love with Adalgisa (Mishura), one of the Virgins of the temple.

Some of the most magnificent moments theatrically and vocally occur with Norma and Adalgisa, when they realize when their lovers are one and the same. Pollione has reason to fear Norma’s retaliation. Miraculously, Adalgisa though given Norma’s heart breaking invitation to take her two children and leave with Pollione, she chooses to stay, the two women become confidants and friends.

You could feel it in the clarity of the notes, you could feel it in the stance, and you could feel it in every breath they took. Human heartbreak, human tragedy, human sorrow unfolding in depth, quality, and stunning reality.

To protect her children which she loathes and loves at the same time, Norma attempts to kill them, but can’t. Ultimately, she has one solution, to announce to her fellow Druids there is one who has betrayed the sacred vows, and the penalty is death by fire. Fearful, she will name Adalgisa, Pollione objects, then literally melts overwhelmed with love when Norma announces it is she.

The set designed by Allen Moyer, I found slightly confusing. The destruction by the Romans of the Druids’ sacred forest came across quite clearly, however the construction appeared unwieldy, strange, and overbearing. The musical operatic content proved to be so intense and magnificent, and the story so wonderfully dramatically compelling, the set itself actually played a minor role, except for the fire.

The detail of the pyre, the development of the fire, the growth of the fire was amazingly brilliant and realistic, definitely adding to the dramatic finish when Pollione chooses to join Norma in purification and death. It demanded attention. One needed to look twice to be sure the fire wasn’t real.

This production of Norma should by all mean put Opera Colorado on the world map. A brilliant piece and all too sad the run had to be so short. Opera Colorado’s presentation of Norma was a gift of royalty, of incredible beauty, breath-taking sound, and musicality of sheer perfection.