Review Roundup: NORMA at The Metropolitan Opera

NORMA opened the Metropolitan Opera's 2017-18 season last night. Composed by Vincenzo Bellini with a libretto by Felice Romani, this production of NORMA is set deep in a Druid forest, where we follow the double life of a Druid Princess and her dangerous love triangle.

The creative team includes director Sir David McVicar, set designer Robert Jones, costume designer Moritz Junge, and lighting designer Paule Constable.

The opening performance of NORMA on September 25 was conducted by Carlo Rizzi, with Sondra Radvanovsky in the leading role of Norma. The opening cast also starred Joyce DiDonato as Adalgisa, Joseph Calleja as Pollione, and Matthew Rose as Oroveso.

Marina Rebekkah will take over as Norma on October 16 and 20, with Angela Meade taking over on December 1 and finishing the rest of the performances. Jamie Barton will take over as Adalgisa on December 1 through the end of the run, and Vazgen Gazaryan will play Oroveso on October 16. Joseph Colaneri will take over as conductor on December 1.

Let's see what the critics had to say!

Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times: His proven ability to draw out strong performances from singers serves him well, though, with the two artists who matter most: the soprano Sondra Radvanovsky as Norma; and the mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as Adalgisa... Ms. Radvanovsky, with her bright, powerful voice and dramatic fervor, excelled in Norma's moments of torment and fury. Her sound has a grainy cast, a slightly hard-edged quality. To her many admirers, that sound is the essence of raw, true emotion, something that came through on Monday from Ms. Radvanovsky's first entrance.

Anne Midgette, The Washington Post: I don't know if leading this year's opening night at the Met signals another uptick in Rizzi's career, but it should, because he certainly gets Italian opera: his conducting had the taut, light, forward drive that this music calls for, without excessive lingering, soupiness or grandiloquence... Radvanovsky has had a place of pride at the Met table for some time, and there aren't many other active American sopranos at the moment who can match her stature.

Photo: metopera.org

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