In Norma, the Druids are 'barbari' to Roman eyes, and the Romans are 'profani' to Gallic eyes. It will all end up in fire; this is opera of course and exaggeration is the dramatic expression of all feelings, with the soothing effects of Bellini's music when everything becomes too unbearable. Norma at the Châtelet in Paris seems to be challenging not only the score, performed on XIXth century instruments, but also, with Peter Mussbach's new setting, the theatrical impact of this libretto: the human conflict between the two lovers Pollione and Norma, and the dimension of the social and pseudo-historical background of this story. Norma is a woman who is the religious head of her group. She has had two children with the chief Roman invader whom she desperately can't help loving in spite of everything which comes between them: in particular in the person of Adalgisa, a young priestess from the Druid temple.
Fire is a keyword in this opera. Pollione, the Roman chief invader wants to burn the barbarians, the druids want to do the same to the'profani', the Roman army occupying their dear oak forests, and it will all finish in a big fire indeed, with complicated love affairs between them. Well, perhaps Mussbach created a dream-like setting where nuts like me can project their soul, mind and reason. I think I would have loved this production, judging from the bits and pieces I have managed to gather with a little help from my friends!
My last Norma was in 2006, a concert version with June Anderson in the title role. So there was no possible disturbance from the music, from what the singers did with it and from the maestro.
Norma, June Anderson
Adalgisa, Mzia Nioradze
Clotilde, Martine Mahé
Pollione, Zoran Todorovich
Oroveso, Wojtek Smilek
Flavio, Marc Terrazzoni
Choeurs de l’Opera de Marseille
Chef de choeur, Pierre Iodice
Orchestre de l’Opéra de Marseille
Direction musicale, Emmanuel Vuillaume
Marseille, le 5 octobre 2006
I remember not enjoying the tenor at all. The others were fantastic to my ears! Adalgisa was a Georgian mezzo with a vibratello but very much in harmony with June's voice.
I enjoyed June Anderson's non-agressive appearance wearing her own long dress, and wrapped in an art deco shawl, in soft shades of mauve and brown. She was more of a lover and a mother than a chief warrior! She had an immense aura as the head priestess too, in this attitude of hers when singing, not overdoing it. I will remember the image of her singing Casta Diva for ever!
The moon is also a keyword in this opera, and I am not surprised Mussbach seems to have represented that symbol in round objects. I also saw a kind of blue haze, like a dream on the stage so we are in a 'sogno' just like Pollione's in act 1, and perhaps even my life is a 'sogno' which can become a nightmare, depending on where I am on earth when it happens. I could be a barbaro for some, and elsewhere a profano for others. And any way, I think the big fire will be waiting for both in the end.
That an antique looking horse should be thrown into eternal damnation together with Pollione and Norma, in Mussbach's Norma, does not shock my silly turn of mind: end of the Roman empire and with it the remains of the Greeks in the flames, just to recall that cry of the poet after World War 1 'Nous civilisations, nous savons que nous sommes mortelles' which could be an echo of what Norma sings before her prayer, "Casta Diva" when she foresees the Fall of the Roman Empire!
This is what I gather from the text and from a photo of the horse, very Greek, feeling like marble, even; but the significance also seems to be linked to Pollione's sex life; the horse appears each time Adalgisa or Norma is with him on stage, just like the attribute of a Greek god - which, with his golden armour, is precisely what he looks like.
The cast sounds really good and backing the project. (two videos)
le magazine Jan 27th FRMUS 6PM ON NORMA WITH JC SPINOSI AND HIS ORCHETRA ENSEMBLE MATHEUS
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27 janvier
Jean-Christophe Spinosi
NORMA
Opera seria en deux actes de Vincenzo Bellini
Livret de Felice Romani
D’après la tragédie Norma ou l'infanticide de Louis Alexandre Soumet
Créé à la Scala de Milan, le 26 décembre 1831
Direction musicale Jean-Christophe Spinosi
avec Lina Tetriani, Paulina Pfeiffer, Nikolai Schukoff, Nicolas Testé, Blandine Staskiewicz, Luciano Botelho...
Ensemble Matheus - Choeur du Châtelet
Encore une représentation le jeudi 28 janvier 2010 au Théâtre du Châtelet
Renseignements et réservations : www.chatelet-theatre.com
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28 janvier
click on NORMA
photos from the opera: beautiful ones concerning that strange horse!
I pay my tribute to Maria Callas, of course Norma for ever.
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