Vincenzo Bellini’s «Norma» is a masterpiece of the Bel Canto era, featuring the legendary aria «Casta Diva» . The new production at the Mariinsky Theatre, directed by Sergey Novikov, tells the tragic story of a high priestess-druid torn between love, duty, and betrayal . The monumental sets, also designed by Novikov, transport the audience into a world of ancient stones and runes, with a fiery ring symbolizing fate appearing in the finale . This production is a profound exploration of the collapse of ideals and the redemptive power of selfless love.
Norma
Reviews
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Norma
The main character of Vincenzo Bellini's opera is named Norma. In Italian, the name Norma means "standard" or "measure," both in a mathematical and ethical sense. However, Norma's behavior is highly controversial from a social perspective. She has violated two laws: she engaged in a sexual relationship while serving as a high priestess of the druids, and she fell in love with a Roman, despite being a member of a Gallic tribe. Norma will be able to reconcile her love for her homeland, her husband, and her sons only at the cost of her own voluntary death.…Read more -
The Mariinsky Theatre opened the Stars of White Nights festival with the opera Norma
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"We'll Surprise You": Gergiev's Secret, AI, and White Nights
The Stars of the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg opened with a grand premiere. For the first time in 150 years, the opera "Norma" was staged here. Maestro Gergiev himself was at the conductor's podium. The production was directed by Sergey Novikov.Read more -
Bellini's masterpiece "Norma" opened the Stars of White Nights at the Mariinsky Theatre
The title of Bellini's opera "Norma" (as well as Puccini's "Tosca") is often the subject of jokes and sarcastic remarks in Russian translations. However, these are truly brilliant Italian operas. "Norma" is an absolute masterpiece and an icon of the bel canto style, which emphasizes beautiful singing. This opera has been absent from the Mariinsky Theater's extensive repertoire for over a century and a half. Her silence was interrupted by the production of director Sergey Novikov and his namesake, the artist Sergey Novikov, with Valery Gergiev at the conductor's baton and Albina Shagimuratova in the title role.Read more -
Style, beauty and magical seasoning
Norma is a benchmark, one might say, an icon of the bel canto style. It is not a mainstream opera in the Mariinsky Theatre's repertoire, although operas in this style are present in small doses, with a touch of each of the three greatest composers of the era: Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini. Bellini was the least fortunate, as he was not performed at all in the 20th century, although he was popular in the 19th century, albeit to a lesser extent than his colleagues. In the early 2000s, the production of La sonnambula was brought to the Mariinsky stage from Italy, and last year, the Puritans were performed.…Read more -
The Opera of High Passions
The XXXIII Stars of the White Nights Music Festival was solemnly opened in St. Petersburg with a large-scale production of Vincenzo Bellini's Norma.
The new stage of the Mariinsky Theatre was packed with spectators eagerly awaiting the new stage adaptation of the Italian bel canto masterpiece. This premiere had been long-awaited on the banks of the Neva River for many years. It remains a mystery why Norma was never performed in St. Petersburg in the previous century. Since its production in 1861, much time has passed, and the traditions of the theater have changed. Sergey Novikov's current directing concept meets the classical standards of musical theatre.Read more -
The Long Road to Norma
The Mariinsky Theatre's repertoire includes works that are not featured in the programmes of any other musical theatre. Therefore, it is strange that Norma, the iconic opera by Vincenzo Bellini, is only now being performed on its stage. This is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the upcoming theatrical season.Read more -
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