Vincenzo Bellini’s Italian, bel canto Opera Norma
- Composed:1831
- First Performance:December 26, 1831; La Scala, Milan (Italy)
- Libretto: Felice Romani, based on Alexandre Soumet’s tragedy Norma
- Setting:Roman occupied Gaul, about 50 BC
- Tragedia lirica in 2 acts (Lyric tragedy)
The Main Characters in Norma
- Norma, a Druid high priestess (soprano)
- Pollione, Roman pro-consul, father of Norma’s 2 sons (tenor)
- Oroveso, Norma’s father, Archdruid (bass)
- Adalgisa, a druid priestess, virgin (soprano)
- Clotilde, Norma’s attendant (soprano)
- Flavio, a Roman centurion (tenor)
- Two children of Norma and Pollione, (mute)
Basic Plot Summary of Bellini’sopera Norma
Act I:
In the sacred grove of the Druids, Oroveso, the high priest, is praying to the gods to aid the Druids in overthrowing the Romans. Pollione (the Roman pro-consul in Gaul) tells the centurion, Flavio, that he no longer loves Norma. (the Druid high priestess and mother of his two children) He also tells Flavio that he is now in love with Adalgisa. (another priestess) Norma is unaware of Pollione’s infidelity. Pollione begs Adalgisa to leave with him to Rome. Norma realizes that Pollione is going to leave her, but she does not know with whom it will be. Adalgisa comes to Norma (her superior) to confess that she has not been faithful to her vows as priestess and that she is in love with a Roman. Pollione appears and now Norma understands who Adalgisa’s lover is. Adalgisa, who loves the high priestess too much to betray her, is shocked to learn that Pollione was planning to abandon Norma.
Act II:
Norma considers murdering her own children. She then decides to give them to Adalgisa to care for. Adalgisa tells Norma that she no longer loves Pollione and that she promises to convince him to return to Norma. Adalgisa fails to convince Pollione. Norma hearing this news in enraged. She goes to the Druids, and in calling them together proclaims war against the Romans. The Druids now need a sacrifice. Pollione is captured trying to enter the temple of the virgins to claim Adalgisa. The penalty for this is death. Norma is now in deep sadness. Revealing that she has had children by Pollione, she gives them to her father to care for. Norma orders the Pyre lit and she decides that she will take Pollione’s place in the sacrifice. Pollione, seeing this act of selflessness, decides to join Norma on the pyre, proclaiming his re-kindled love for her. Norma and Pollione are to join each other in death.
If you like Norma, here are some other operas written by Bellini:
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