Vincenzo Bellini, Norma (1831)

Here's some more bel canto for you! For me, for you, for everyone! This one is about druids in Gaul. I was a little confused because I always associate druids with Britain, but I suppose it just depends on whether your major cultural touchstone is Spinal Tap or Asterix.

Be that as may, the head priestess, Norma (which name maybe only sounds so bizarrely prosaic for a druid priestess because it sounds like "normal?" And yet Italian has basically the same word, so it's just weird all 'round), has had a secret romance with Pollione, the proconsul of the invading Romans. This has resulted in two secret pregnancies and children. That's a lot to keep secret. I guess she probably used Druid Magic to do it. So anyway, that is what it is, but unfortunately, it turns out that now Pollione, the cad, is in love with Adalgisa, the subordinate priestess, and wants to run off with her. There are consequences.

You can really, really tell from this why Bellini is so venerated, and it's obvious why this should be many people's favorite opera. The music is divine; everyone will point to Norma's aria "Casta diva," but I think at least as good is her and Adalgisa's duet "Oh! Rimembranza!" Bellini fuck yeah! This traditional David McVicar production is very good, and the three leads--Sondra Radvanovsky, Joce DiDonato, and Joseph Calleja as, respectively, Norma, Adalgisa, and Pollione. DiDonato is going to star in a Live in HD production of Agrippinanext year; I can't wait to see it.

I will say, I find it kind of disappointing that Adalgisa just disappears midway through the second act. I feel she deserved more, especially because the friendship between her and Norma in spite of their obvious conflict is one of the opera's highlights. Also, let's face it, the ending is kind of...less than edifying, by contemporary standards. Or, I'd think, standards of the time. So Adalgisa has given up on Pollione and wants to become a priestess again. Pollione is taken prisoner; he's going to be sacrificed 'cause you need a sacrifice to go to war, but Norma is of course conflicted. She decides that she's going to squeal on Adalgisa and sacrifice her instead, but then she realizes what a hypocrite this would make her and confesses her own sins--having broken her vows. So she's going to be sacrificed, and she begs her father to look after her children, but he's like, no no. But eventually he relents and she's like yay! I'm forgiven! This is great! And he's like your burning will purify your sins. So she and Pollione (who has decided he's still in love with her) go off to be sacrificed, and it's...triumphant? Positive? Joyful? I mean, it's a really strange message. I feel like "well, maybe we actually don't need to do blood sacrifices anymore" would be more rewarding. It's just supposed to be about transcendent love, but that's in the context of this brutal ritual, and...huh. I don't know!

This is based on a French play that was popular at the time. I can't say I'm super-interested in seeing it. I don't think I would find this story very compelling without Bellini's music. But--this is the key point--in this version there IS Bellini's music, and as such it's kinda great in spite of whatever narrative shortcomings it might have.