Norma at the MET with Marina Rebeka

[whipped guy]

Bellini's Norma at the MET was seen 10/16/2017. The performance featured soprano Marina Rebeka in the title role in her first assumption of the part at the MET. A private recording of her first assumption of the part proved to be very promising. It is needless to say that in the intervening time she has grown in the role and is on her way to becoming one of the great Norma's of the Twenty-first Century. She phrased beautifully and even offered several reasonable attempts at a messa di voce. The aria "Casta diva" was sung as if in a trance and compared favorably with, even if it did not erase memories of, the best renditions of Callas, Caballé, and Sutherland. She also had sufficient power to deliver Norma's public and private moments of outrage effectively. Most importantly she also blended well with the Adalgisa of mezzo Joyce DiDonato in their two extensive duets. Furthermore she has conquered the technical challenges of the part while offering some interesting embellishments along the way. Also, as did Callas and Sutherland, she concluded the first act with a searing high D. In summation her Norma provided a nice balance of the power and beauty necessary to convey a complete interpretation of the conflicted Druid priestess in this Mount Olympus of soprano roles. With a tad more work on shadings using pianissimi and a slight smoothing out of her coloratura (and I already hear an improvement compared to her previous Norma as well as her appearances in Guillaume Tell last season) she might indeed make it into the pantheon of the greatest Normas.

 

Adalgisa should ideally be performed by a soprano as that was the original concept, but the MET opted for the traditional mezzo route. Di Donato was not only as expected technically proficient, but was quite effective and impassioned as the young priestess even if she had to rewrite one passage in the first duet with Norma to avoid a high C.

 

At his entrance tenor Joseph Calleja sounded a size too small for the role of the Roman general Pollione and especially if one is used to the likes of Franco Corelli and Mario del Monico in the part. However, his colorful voice with its quick vibrato never had any problem filling the auditorium and moreover was more in line with what Bellini would have expected. At any rate, the ear soon adjusted and he offered a vigorous rendition of Norma's unfaithful lover. Interestingly he sang the penultimate note of his aria as written eschewing the higher traditional interpolation. That pompted some to think that he had made an error when he actually was singing what Bellini had written!

 

The remaining roles were all competently done. Bass Vazgen Gazaryan made his MET debut as Oroveso and seemed not to be warmed up (or nervous) at his entrance, but overall gave a fine performance.

 

Conductor Carlo Rizzi provided an efficient reading that at times deviated from the traditional standard Ricordi score. Cuts were few and involved a couple of repeats in the opening two numbers plus the small traditional cuts mainly in the codas of several other sections of the score. A banda sul palco (stage band) was used in the "Norma viene" chorus in addition to the usual sections and the repeat in the first Norma/Adalgisa duet was performed. The longer version of the first section of the first act trio with the extra stanza for Adalgisa was performed as was the seldom heard alternate conclusion of this section of the piece. In the second act the slow ending to the "Guerra" chorus was performed that included Norma joining in at the very end with an ethereal upwards arpeggio. In addition the often cut bars for chorus and soloists at the very end were restored thus bringing the opera to a blazing conclusion.

 

The sets and costumes were among the best seen at the MET in recent years. They were dark and brooding which perfectly mirrored the tinta of the piece and the fact that the druids worshiped in dense forest settings. More importantly the action occurred in the Gaul of ancient Roman times as opposed to some of the silly updatings of recent European productions.

 

The use of a stage elevator was quite effective in changing the scenery and as implied this Norma ended in a strikingly effective fiery blaze as tenor and soprano slowly walked to their deaths determined to have their reborn love consummated in the fierce flames of their pyre of doom. Indeed as the raging inferno was suddenly totally blacked out, a simultaneous roar of enthusiastic approval and shouts of bravi emanated spontaneously from the audience.

 

There is one more performance with Rebeka. The cast and conductor then changes for performances in December.

[bostonman]

There is one more performance with Rebeka.

 

And it will be broadcast on Sirius, for those of us that can't be in the house but would like to hear it. 7:55 official broadcast start, 8:00-ish curtain.

[TruHart1]

Bellini's Norma at the MET was seen 10/16/2017. The performance featured soprano Marina Rebeka in the title role in her first assumption of the part at the MET. A private recording of her first assumption of the part proved to be very promising. It is needless to say that in the intervening time she has grown in the role and is on her way to becoming one of the great Norma's of the Twenty-first Century. She phrased beautifully and even offered several reasonable attempts at a messa di voce. The aria "Casta diva" was sung as if in a trance and compared favorably with, even if it did not erase memories of, the best renditions of Callas, Caballé, and Sutherland. She also had sufficient power to deliver Norma's public and private moments of outrage effectively. Most importantly she also blended well with the Adalgisa of mezzo Joyce DiDonato in their two extensive duets. Furthermore she has conquered the technical challenges of the part while offering some interesting embellishments along the way. Also, as did Callas and Sutherland, she concluded the first act with a searing high D. In summation her Norma provided a nice balance of the power and beauty necessary to convey a complete interpretation of the conflicted Druid priestess in this Mount Olympus of soprano roles. With a tad more work on shadings using pianissimi and a slight smoothing out of her coloratura (and I already hear an improvement compared to her previous Norma as well as her appearances in Guillaume Tell last season) she might indeed make it into the pantheon of the greatest Normas.

 

Adalgisa should ideally be performed by a soprano as that was the original concept, but the MET opted for the traditional mezzo route. Di Donato was not only as expected technically proficient, but was quite effective and impassioned as the young priestess even if she had to rewrite one passage in the first duet with Norma to avoid a high C.

 

At his entrance tenor Joseph Calleja sounded a size too small for the role of the Roman general Pollione and especially if one is used to the likes of Franco Corelli and Mario del Monico in the part. However, his colorful voice with its quick vibrato never had any problem filling the auditorium and moreover was more in line with what Bellini would have expected. At any rate, the ear soon adjusted and he offered a vigorous rendition of Norma's unfaithful lover. Interestingly he sang the penultimate note of his aria as written eschewing the higher traditional interpolation. That pompted some to think that he had made an error when he actually was singing what Bellini had written!

 

The remaining roles were all competently done. Bass Vazgen Gazaryan made his MET debut as Oroveso and seemed not to be warmed up (or nervous) at his entrance, but overall gave a fine performance.

 

Conductor Carlo Rizzi provided an efficient reading that at times deviated from the traditional standard Ricordi score. Cuts were few and involved a couple of repeats in the opening two numbers plus the small traditional cuts mainly in the codas of several other sections of the score. A banda sul palco (stage band) was used in the "Norma viene" chorus in addition to the usual sections and the repeat in the first Norma/Adalgisa duet was performed. The longer version of the first section of the first act trio with the extra stanza for Adalgisa was performed as was the seldom heard alternate conclusion of this section of the piece. In the second act the slow ending to the "Guerra" chorus was performed that included Norma joining in at the very end with an ethereal upwards arpeggio. In addition the often cut bars for chorus and soloists at the very end were restored thus bringing the opera to a blazing conclusion.

 

The sets and costumes were among the best seen at the MET in recent years. They were dark and brooding which perfectly mirrored the tinta of the piece and the fact that the druids worshiped in dense forest settings. More importantly the action occurred in the Gaul of ancient Roman times as opposed to some of the silly updatings of recent European productions.

 

The use of a stage elevator was quite effective in changing the scenery and as implied this Norma ended in a strikingly effective fiery blaze as tenor and soprano slowly walked to their deaths determined to have their reborn love consummated in the fierce flames of their pyre of doom. Indeed as the raging inferno was suddenly totally blacked out, a simultaneous roar of enthusiastic approval and shouts of bravi emanated spontaneously from the audience.

 

There is one more performance with Rebeka. The cast and conductor then changes for performances in December.

And it will be broadcast on Sirius, for those of us that can't be in the house but would like to hear it. 7:55 official broadcast start, 8:00-ish curtain.

Thanks for your most excellent detailed review, @whipped guy, I am really looking forward to hearing the Friday night performance with Rebeka coming up on Sirius!

 

TruHart1

[+ g56whiz]

I look forward to waking up to it Sat morning here in opera starved Kuala Lumpur. Thank you WG

[sydneyboy]

Thank you for this review. I have fond memories of Norma. I have seen it in Sydney 5 times, twice with Joan Sutherland and Rita Hunter and the last time with Elizabeth Connell. This is of course a notoriously difficult opera to cast but I consider myself fortunate to seen it with these great divas in my Opera House.

[whipped guy]

Thank you for this review. I have fond memories of Norma. I have seen it in Sydney 5 times, twice with Joan Sutherland and Rita Hunter and the last time with Elizabeth Connell. This is of course a notoriously difficult opera to cast but I consider myself fortunate to seen it with these great divas in my Opera House.

Well this was the fifth time that I have seen the piece. The first time was with an underpowered and way too light voiced Beverly Sills and the next three times were with other pretenders to the throne who need not be mentioned, two of which embarrassingly occurred at the MET. This was the first time that both the production and cast did the opera justice in my experience.

[+ Charlie]

Thank you for this review. I have fond memories of Norma. I have seen it in Sydney 5 times, twice with Joan Sutherland and Rita Hunter and the last time with Elizabeth Connell. This is of course a notoriously difficult opera to cast but I consider myself fortunate to seen it with these great divas in my Opera House.

It's nice to hear from someone else who loved Hunter and Connell. The first time I saw either one of them was in a concert performance where they were Aida and Amneris, and I was blown away. Connell never had the reputation that Hunter achieved, but she was much more enjoyable to watch. She was the best Kundry I ever saw, in a breathtaking performance in Amsterdam.