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Opera

Norma, London Coliseum

17 Feb 16 – 11 Mar 16, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Opera North's acclaimed production of Bellini's bel canto masterpiece is staged by the English National Opera

By CW Contributor on 18/5/2015

Norma, London Coliseum
Norma, London Coliseum
Norma, London Coliseum Norma, London Coliseum Joe Lloyd
Richard Wagner is not one known for his positive outlook on the artistic creations of others, but when it came to Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma he was effusive: “Let anyone name me a spiritual painting of its kind, more fully carried out, than that of this wild Gaelic prophetess.” In the twentieth century, said title role became indelibly associated with Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland, whose unmatched vocal dexterity was well suited to the unanticipated complexity of Bellini’s score.


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Set in ancient Gaul, Norma tells the tale of a druidic high priestess who incites her people to war when betrayed by her illicit Roman love. At the core of the drama lies not just this passion, however, but the universally human dilemmas of how to best look after children of a divided home, and whether to chose one’s own community over one that seems antithetical to it. It is a story of the profoundest intelligence, delivered in Bellini’s exquisite long melodies and overwhelmingly beauteous arias. The finale, which pre-empts the conclusion of Wagner’s Ring, is one of the most sublimely tragic in the repertoire, and brings Bellini’s incredible command of dramatic poetry to a high.
Christopher Alden’s production, although new to the English National Opera, comes to London after an acclaimed debut with Opera North. An old hand with a record of interesting and engaging works, Alden has set Norma at the onset of the Industrial Revolution, substituting the arrival of the Romans with that of technology. Fellow American Stephen Lord, one of the greatest masters of bel canto interpretation, conducts. The production also offers a chance to see one of today’s rising stars in the title role – Marjorie Owens, feted for her ability to meld subtly with high tension. She will play against the veteran Peter Auty, whose skill and adaptability have long been noted.


What Norma, London Coliseum
Where London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, , London , WC2N 4ES | MAP
Nearest tube Charing Cross (underground)
When 17 Feb 16 – 11 Mar 16, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM
Price £12-125
Website Click here to book via the English National Opera



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  • Practical

    ENO 2015/16 BOOKING

    The English National Opera have launched their line up for much of next season, and it's an exciting one: five new productions and three esteemed revivals, with bel canto classics alongside works from Mozart, Verdi, Gilbert & Sullivan and Philip Glass. General booking opens on 27 May, but if you are a friend of the company you can choose the prime seats from 6 May. A week before the public release, on 20 May, half-price disability tickets will be available, as will the seasonal subscription offer, which gives you a discount on your overall order when you buy for three or more productions at once. 

  • What the critics say

    THE GUARDIAN

    "Scene after scene pierces to the core of the drama, and there are moments when the evening touches greatness."

    George Hall

    THE TELEGRAPH

    "With its sculpted melodic lines, richly characterised heroine and a final scene of neoclassical grandeur, no Italian opera of the early nineteenth century can match the intensity or nobility of Bellini’s Norma."

    Rupert Christiansen

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Bellini

Romantic

Bel Canto

Opera North

English National Opera

London Coliseum



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