Norma is a tragedia lirica in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after “Norma, ossia L'infanticidio” by Alexandre Soumet. 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 a major soprano aria, Casta diva, in act 1, is one of the most famous of the nineteenth century. A notable Norma of the post-war period was Maria Callas.
At the Romanian Opera from Timisoara, Norma was first performed in May 1968 with a great cast formed from singers from that generation. After an absence of 19 years, in 2009, a concert version of this opera was presented, having the famous Romanian soprano, Nelly Miricioiu in the title role.
On 22nd November a new production of Norma will be produced on the stage of the Romanian National Opera House of Timisoara. Mario de Carlo, from Italy, will be the producer (set, costumes) who is not at his first collaboration with this stage. La boheme, Gianni Schicchi, Madama Butterfly, Turandot by G. Puccini, La Traviata, Nabucco by G. Verdi, Adriana Lecouvreur by F. Cilea, Faust by Ch. Gounod, Il barbiere di Siviglia by G. Rossini, Die Fledermaus by J. Strauss and Die Lustige Witwe by Fr. Lehar are the titles that he produced on this stage.
Under the baton of David Crescenzi, also from Italy, famous internationally acclaimed singers will join the cast. Greek soprano Dimitra Theodossiou will sing the title role, a role with which she had a great success on stages like those from Athens, Tokyo, St. Petersburg, Catania, Verona, Kassel, Modena, Ferrara, Livorno and Piacenza.
The Italian Basso Roberto Scandiuzzi will sing for the third time in Timisoara, after his success with the title role from Attila by G. Verdi (in 2011) and Mefisto from Faust by Ch. Gounod (in 2012).
The Bulgarian mezzosoprano Mirouslava Yordanova, will sing the role of Adalgisa for the second time in Timisoara, after the concert version of this opera in 2009.
Calin Bratescu, from Bucharest, also a very popular singer in Timisoara, comes back to retrieve one of his favorite roles, Pollione.
Tickets can be found at the Opera House’s Agency, on Marasesti Street, nr.2, daily between 10-13 and 17-19.
International editions: