What is the story behind the opera Norma?
Bellini’s Norma is the story of the Druid High-Priestess, who has broken her vows by getting involved with the Roman Pollione. The two women band together over their shared doomed love, after Norma reveals that she has had children by Pollione.
What type of opera is Norma?
Written by Romantic-era Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini in the spring of 1831 and premiering at La Scala in Milan in December of that year, “Norma” is a tragedy in two acts that take place in 50 B.C. Gaul.
Is Norma a grand opera?
Norma: A Grand Opera in Three Acts.
How long is the opera Norma?
The performance lasts about 3 hours 10 minutes, including one interval.
Who was the greatest Norma?
Probably the most important Norma of the first half of the 20th century was Rosa Ponselle who triumphed in the role both in New York and in London. Notable exponents of the title role in the post-war period have been Maria Callas, Leyla Gencer, Joan Sutherland, and Montserrat Caballé.
What is Norma singing about in Casta Diva?
She asserts that the Romans will eventually fall by their own doing, and the Gauls do not need to rise up now. It is at this point that Norma sings “Casta Diva,” a prayer to the moon goddess for peace, and eventually, conquering the Romans.
Who wrote the opera Norma?
Felice RomaniNorma / Librettist
What is the famous aria from Norma?
Casta Diva
The aria ‘Casta Diva’ comes from Bellini’s opera Norma, and is a moment of stillness and calm before an oncoming war. Norma, the head priestess, leads her people in a mesmerising prayer to the goddess of the moon (‘Casta diva’ translates as ‘chaste goddess’).
Was Maria Callas a diva?
Although her dramatic life and personal tragedy have often overshadowed Callas the artist in the popular press, her artistic achievements were such that Leonard Bernstein called her “the Bible of opera” and her influence so enduring that, in 2006, Opera News wrote of her: “Nearly thirty years after her death, she’s …
What does the term bel canto mean?
beautiful singing
bel canto, (Italian: “beautiful singing”) style of operatic singing that originated in Italian singing of polyphonic (multipart) music and Italian courtly solo singing during the late 16th century and that was developed in Italian opera in the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries.
Is Philadelphia based on a true story?
The film “Philadelphia” was not a fictional movie, as Tri-Star Pictures says, but the true story of an attorney who sued the world’s largest law firm for firing him because he had AIDS, a lawyer argued today.
Who wrote Norma?
Aaron M. Green is an expert on classical music and music history, with more than 10 years of both solo and ensemble performance experience. Written by Romantic-era Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini in the spring of 1831 and premiering at La Scala in Milan in December of that year, “Norma” is a tragedy in two acts that take place in 50 B.C. Gaul.
When was Norma first performed?
It was first produced at La Scala in Milan on 26 December 1831. The opera is regarded as a leading example of the bel canto genre, and the soprano prayer “Casta diva” in act 1 is a famous piece. Probably the most important Norma of the first half of the 20th century was Rosa Ponselle who triumphed in the role both in New York and in London.
What genre is Norma by Bellini?
Written by Romantic-era Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini in the spring of 1831 and premiering at La Scala in Milan in December of that year, “Norma” is a tragedy in two acts that take place in 50 B.C. Gaul. It features Bellini’s signature long melodies and is considered a masterpiece of the bel canto genre,…
Who was Norma in the Metropolitan Opera?
The Metropolitan Opera revived Norma in 1927 (the first performance of the opera there since 1892) with Rosa Ponselle in the title role.