NORMA " Norma," a tragic opera in two acts, the score by Vincenzo Bellini and the book by Felice Romani, was originally presented Dec. 26 1831, at Milan. It is founded on an old French story.
Norma, High Priestess of the Temple of Esus. Adalgisa, a virgin of the temple.
Clotilde, attendant on Norma.
Pollione, a Roman proconsul, commanding the legions of Gaul.
Flavius, his lieutenant.
Oroveso, the Arch-Druid, father of Norma.
Ministering and attendant priests and officers of the temple, Gallic warriors, priestesses and virgins of the temple, two children of Norma and Pollione.
This opera, which is Bellini's most dramatic work, is set in Druidic Gaul, about 50 B. C., or after its occupation by the Romans, who have subjugated the people and made Pollione governor. Norma, daughter of Oroveso, the Arch Druid, has broken her vows as high priestess and is secretly married to Pollione, by whom she has two children. The proconsul quickly transfers his affections to Adalgisa, a temple virgin, and entreats her to fly with him. Norma is adored by the Gauls for her interpretation of the oracles and for her prophecy that Rome, the enemy of the country eventually will fall. Adalgisa shares in this reverence and is lead by conscience to confess to Norma her sinful love. The High Priestess is lenient, remembering her own similar defection and grants her absolution from her vows. But when she inquires the name of Adalgisa's lover, its revela tion forces her to confess that Pollione is her own faithless husband.
He appears and she reviles him. He then renews his entreaties to Adalgisa to follow him but is repulsed. Norma resolves, meanwhile, upon revenge and sees it in the murder of her children. But as she leans over their sleeping forms, the maternal passion asserts itself and she decides rather to put them in Adalgisa's hands and send her with them to Pollione. She confides this plan to her rival and each woman in this calmer moment is willing to sacrifice herself for the other. Pollione, in attempting to tear Adalgisa from the altar, is himself captured by the Druids whom Norma has summoned by striking the sacred shield. Norma offers to grant safety to Pollione if he will give up Adalgisa but he refuses, preferring death. The exasperated High Priestess summons back the assembly, which she previously has dis missed, and for one vengeful moment threatens to denounce with him the innocent virgin he so madly loves. But her
better nature once more gains the upper hand. Norma then takes the sacred wreath from her brow and impeaches herself by confessing her marriage. She is tried and is sentenced to be burned. Pollione recognizes the greatness of her character and too late his love for her returns. He takes his place beside her on the funeral-pyre and their sins are expiated in its flames.
Personally, Bellini considered this work his master piece, although his admirers usually award the palm to " La Sonnambula." The work possesses remarkable melodic charm and because of the emotional possibilities of its lead ing role was long loved by great prima donnas. Hervey says, " Bellini, the melodist par excellence, wrote from the heart. La Sonnambula and Norma may be old-fashioned and their construction may be of the simplest but they con tain really beautiful melodies, they appeal to the emotions, and one feels that they were written not solely for effect but to express the composer's innermost thoughts." Norma was first sung in Italian, in London, in King's Theater, 1833; again four years later Planche's English version was produced at Drury Lane ; almost twenty years later Paris first heard it in the Italian Theater. Since then it has had many seasons of popularity, and America has listened to its charming music and intensely inter esting story both in Italian and English, and has seen in the title role a number of her greatest prima donnas.
Lilli Lehmann had reached the height of her Wag nerian career in this country when a benefit performance was to be given for her. The choice of an opera was left to her, and among the many in her repertory she chose the seemingly simple Norma. When asked why this instead of a heavier role, she replied it was because she loved Norma; that it was not as difficult a task to sing Briinhilde as Norma, for the dramatic emotion, the action and scene so carried the singer in Wagnerian roles that no great thought had to be given the words, they just fell into their proper places, but in Bellini's operas one must ever have a care to preserve beauty of tone and cor rect emission in her interpretation of the words.