Norma , an opera depicting the sacrificial power of love, is regarded as the quintessence of musical romanticism. “Among all Bellini’s creations, Norma is the richest in the profoundly realistic way in which true melody is united with intimate passion”, said Richard Wagner, inspired by Norma while composing Tristan und Isolde . The stunningly contrasting and emotional duets, priests’ and warriors’ choruses make this opera an unquestionable masterpiece. But the most remarkable is the famous Norma’s cavatina (“Casta diva”), an excellent example of the bel canto style, a long-standing symbol of Italian opera which only a few sopranos can master.
Despite the resounding success of Norma all over the world, it will be presented in Perm for the first time. For Migran Agadzhanyan , the theatre’s new Principal Conductor, Norma will become his conducting and music directing debut at the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre.
The young choreographer Maxim Petrov , who has worked with the Bolshoi Theatre and the Mariinsky Theatre, will be the stage director. With set designer Alyona Pikalova , he has been nominated for Renard. Mavra. The Fairy’s Kiss for the “Golden Mask” 2022 National Theatre Award (category: Best Balletmaster-Choreographer; Alyona Pikalova’s category: Best Designer in Musical Theatre). Norma will be Maxim Petrov’s first work in opera as stage director.
The production will be curated by Arkady Ippolitov , a senior researcher at the State Hermitage and one of the world’s leading experts in Italian art of the 15-17th centuries.
