patrikpen: Light of Hope in Music and Vision 22 giugno

Light of Hope

Palermo's mixed reception to an innovative 'Norma',
reviewed by GIUSEPPE PENNISI

Several years after its debut in Stuttgart, an important production of Vincenzo Bellini's Norma had its Italian premiere in Palermo's Teatro Massimo on 17 June 2014. The theatre was sold out; I was in the audience. Norma is an opera particularly loved by the Sicilian audience; only in Palermo, since 1831 there have been fifty different productions engaging major stage directors, conductors and singers. Norma is the quintessential of bel canto especially in the two duets between the protagonist and her younger colleague, Adalgisa. Norma had been always revered above all other operas of the period. When it was first produced, reviewers compared it to Spontini's La Vestale, whose heroine is subject to similarly overwhelming dramatic pressures. The title role is one of the most taxing in the entire repertory, a noble character whose tragedy lies in her fatal love for an enemy of the people. In addition to the duet with Adalgisa and her lover Pollione (now attracted by the younger woman), Bellini reaches his peak as a musical dramatist in the finale of the opera.

A scene from Act I of Bellini's 'Norma' at Palermo's Teatro Massimo. Photo © 2014 Corrado Lannino

The roles of Norma and Adalgisa are normally interpreted by a soprano and a mezzo, even though in certain productions the parts are inverted with Norma as a mezzo and Adalgisa a soprano and in others [read Very Juicy, August 2012], two sopranos confront each other. In essence, what is needed are two dramatic women's voices with coloratura and agility as well as a large extension. The men's roles are less taxing, and less important. Also the orchestral score is mostly in support of the voices.

Csilla Boross as Norma, Annalisa Stroppa as Adalgisa and Aquiles Machado as Pollione in Act I of Bellini's 'Norma' at Palermo's Teatro Massimo. Photo © 2014 Corrado Lannino. Click on the image for higher resolution

The Stuttgart production seen and heard in Palermo is by Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito, the sets and the costumes are by Anna Viebrock, lighting by Mario Fleck. Some ten years ago, it received the award of the German Music Critics. Most importantly, it is the forerunner of other stagings, most significantly the Salzburg Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier, with Cecilia Bartoli in the title role; that same production was widely praised and gained the 2013 International Opera Award.

Aquiles Machado as Pollione, Marco Spotti as Oroveso and chorus in Act I of Bellini's 'Norma' at Palermo's Teatro Massimo. Photo © 2014 Corrado Lannino

In short, Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito, and later Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier, changed the place and the time of the action from ancient Gallia under the Roman domination to France during the German occupation in the nineteen forties. Norma and her father Oroveso led a group of partisans in the resistance. Pollione is the German gauleiter (proconsul) in charge of the area. The entire action takes place within a ruined church, with a simple quarter for the parish priest. Norma, of course, knows quite well how to use a gun and can be quite violent in her interaction with Pollione, throwing her shoes at him and also an open bag of his dirty shirts and underwear.

Csilla Boross in the title role in Act I of Bellini's 'Norma' at Palermo's Teatro Massimo. Photo © 2014 Corrado Lannino

Although the Palermo audience has been exposed to rather innovative productions [eg A Sexy Summer Night, 23 January 2014], their much beloved Norma ought to be a 'peplum' Hollywood style affair, with a real temple, long robes and alike. Thus, even though the singers received much open stage applause during the first act (mostly in the Norma-Adalgisa duet), part of the audience exploded in protest during the intermission, not only in the upper tier but also in the boxes and the stalls. Again a few minutes of silence followed the dramatically stunning finale, the chorus, the singers and the conductor received ovation but when Samantha Seymour (who had adapted the Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito production in Palermo) came on stage), boos erupted. After the first act reaction, she would have been well advised to remain quietly backstage.

Annalisa Stroppa as Adalgisa and Aquiles Machado as Pollione in Act II of Bellini's 'Norma' at Palermo's Teatro Massimo. Photo © 2014 Corrado Lannino

I dare say that I liked the production very much. But I do have a long tradition of Norma in Palermo style to defend.

Annalisa Stroppa as Adalgisa in Act II of Bellini's 'Norma' at Palermo's Teatro Massimo. Photo © 2014 Corrado Lannino

Let us now come to the musical aspects. Csilla Boross was at her debut with the role after several years of singing Puccini, Verdi and Wagner both in her native Hungary and internationally. She handled the impervious part superbly both dramatically and vocally. Her Casta Diva was a milestone of dramatic soprano agility singing and her duets with Adalgisa and Pollione had the required intensity. The mezzo Annalisa Stroppa was up to her style. Aquiles Machado (Pollione) and Marco Spotti (Oroveso) were of a good standard, but this is a women's opera. The chorus directed by Piero Monti was excellent. Will Humburg's baton is accustomed to Wagner and Beethoven; thus, the orchestra did not only support the singers but provided different colors (from the dark Norma-Pollione confrontation to the spiritual Casta Diva to the enthralling finale, tragic but with the light of hope).