norma

The will to resist the Romans is growing among the Gauls. Norma should finally give the signal of rebellion against the oppressors. But she hesitates against the backdrop of a conflict of conscience: With the Roman Pollione, Norma has two children, whom she keeps hidden from the public eye. When she learns that Pollione loves Adalgisa and wants to flee with her, her situation seems hopeless. When Norma reveals her double life, she is risking her reputation and that of her children.

Vincenzo Bellini's successful opera, which premiered in 1831, is considered the epitome of bel canto — and yet offers so much more than just beautiful singing. Richard Wagner already recognized that the immensely dramatic music describes a “painting of the soul” by the protagonist. In his reading, director Vasily Barkhatov underlines Norma's conflict between her public role and personal feelings against the backdrop of a political revolution.