Norma (opera)

Norma is an Italian opera in two acts. The music was composed by Vincenzo Bellini. The libretto is by Felice Romani.The opera was first performed at La Scala in Milan, on December 26, 1831. The work was based on Louis Alexandre Soumet's play Norma ou l'infanticide. Norma is Bellini's masterpiece and one of the finest bel canto operas. The title role is one of the most demanding in the entire Italian repertoire. Sopranos Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, and Montserrat Caballé have been amongst the best exponents of the role.

Principal roles

• Norma – soprano
• Adalgisa – mezzo-soprano
• Pollione – tenor
• Oroveso – bass

Norma (opera) Media

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  Librettist Felice Romani

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  Giuditta Pasta, for whom the role of Norma was created

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  Poster advertising the 1831 premiere

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  Domenico Donzelli sang Pollione

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  Giulia Grisi sang Adalgisa

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  Vincenzo Negrini sang Oroveso

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  Act 2 finale, Luigi Lablache as Oroveso, Giulia Grisi (as Norma), Dominique Conti as Pollione. Her Majesty's Theatre, London, 1843

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  Alessandro Sanquirico's set design for act 1, scene 2, for the original production

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  Drawing for Norma (undated)

Sources

• The Complete Dictionary of Opera & Operetta, James Anderson, Wings Books, 1989.