Norma

Vincenzo Bellini / Felice Romani

The tragic tale of the druidic priestess and her fatal love for the enemy of her people.

A recording of our November performance of Norma in First United Methodist Church of Bellevue is available on Bellevue TV’s website.

Friday, November 5, 2010 7:00pm First United Methodist Church of Bellevue 1934 108th Ave NE Bellevue, WA

Sunday, November 7, 2010 5:00pm Bethany Lutheran Church, Greenlake 7400 Woodlawn Ave NE Seattle, WA

Saturday, November 13, 2010 5:00pm Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church 425 Spring Street Friday Harbor, WA

Cast and Characters

Norma, high priestess of the Druids	......	Karen Early Evans
Oroveso, Chief of the Druids & Norma's father	......	Deac Guidi
Pollione, Roman proconsole in Gaul	......	Gino Lucchetti
Adalgisa, a temple virgin	......	Regina Thomas
Flavio, Pollione's centurion	......	Michael Callahan
Clotilda, Norma's confidante	......	Maria Mannisto
Conductor	......	Denes Van Parys
Chorusmaster	......	John Burkhardt

Orchestra

Violin 1 - Natalie Toida; Violin 2 - Trevor Lutzenhiser; Viola - Jennifer Glenn-Shoval; Cello - Janice Lee; Flute - Jenna Calixto

Chorus

Courtney Ruckman, Sharon Hockenbury, Katherine Castro, Heather Ramsey, Vicky Monk, Emily Robinson, Diann Spicer, Sherry Tuinstra, Jason Cutler, Paul St. Marie, Michael Hansen, Joseph Paolino, Renwick Hester

Synopsis

Norma, a Druid high priestess, has broken her strict vows of chastity by secretly loving and bearing two children to Pollione, the Roman proconsul. She purposely keeps war between the people of Gaul and the Roman army at bay to protect her lover. When she learns he has switched his affection to Adalgisa, one of her temple virgins, she angrily denounces Pollione.

At the top of Act II, Norma considers killing her children to save them from the humiliation they will carry due to her disgrace. In the end she cannot go through with it and asks Adalgisa to take her children and go with Pollione to Rome. Soon after, Pollione's plot to abduct Adalgisa is discovered. Norma's rage is swift and she finally declares war on Rome. Pollione is caught in the Druid's sacred temple and arrangements are made to sacrifice him by fire. Norma confesses her relationship with Pollione, begs her father to protect her children and offers herself as a more suitable sacrifice in Pollione's place. Hearing her devotion, Pollione commits himself to die by Norma's side and they walk together into the flames.

The Cavatina-Cabaletta aria form - A Bel Canto tradition

Bel canto is a style of singing that is the hallmark of an early-to-mid-19th-century style of Italian opera composition of the same name. Bel canto is characterized by smooth, seamless vocal production; the ability to spin out long, seamless vocal lines; and agility ... in short, flawless vocal technique. The most common aria form used in Bel Canto opera is the "double aria" or Cavatina-Cabaletta. The first aria or Cavatina is a generally slow, contemplative aria, designed to show off the singer's breath control, soft singing (piano) and long vocal line (legato)... In contrast to the cavatina, the cabaletta is fast and energetic, designed to show off a singer's virtuosity and decorative singing. In Lucia di Lammermoor, Lucia's Act I aria "Regnava nel silenzio" is the cavatina, and "Quando rapito in estasi" is the cabaletta. Similarly, Norma's "Casta diva" and "Ah, bello a me ritorno" is a famous cavatina/cabaletta combination.