Bellini's Norma - Chelsea Opera Group

Norma by Bellini, an opera in 2 acts by Vincenzo Bellini (1801 – 1835). Libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ou L'infanticide by Alexandre Soumet.

First performed at La Scala, Milan on 26th December 1831. A concert performance in Italian.

Chelsea Opera Group will perform Bellini's Norma, an outstanding example of the bel canto genre. First produced in 1831, it is set in Roman-occupied Gaul around 50 B.C. The story is centred on a struggle between love and duty, resulting from the illicit passion of the local arch-druidess Norma for the Roman proconsul Pollione. Norma is one of opera’s greatest soprano roles and has been particularly associated with Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland. Casta Diva, Norma’s invocation to the moon, is one of the best-known arias in all opera. It is one of the composer’s ‘long, long melodies’ which Verdi much admired. The opera’s dramatic potency rests in its breathtaking ensembles, most strikingly in Norma’s duets with Pollione and Adalgisa, the Act I trio ‘Vanne, sì: mi lascia, indegno’ and the blistering Act II finale.
Helena Dix returns to sing the title role of Norma which she covered for the Metropolitan Opera in 2017, continuing her long association with Chelsea Opera Group.

Conductor Dane Lam follows growing conducting success at Opera Holland Park to conduct Norma for Chelsea Opera Group
The concert performance of Norma also features the Orchestra and Chorus of Chelsea Opera Group.

Ditlev Rindom will give a pre-concert talk for ticket holders in the hall at 5.45pm.

Helena Dix - Norma
Christopher Turner - Pollione
Elin Pritchard - Adalgisa
Joshua Bloom - Oroveso
Dane Lam - conductor
The Chorus and Orchestra of Chelsea Opera Group