Norma

Norma is the title character of Vincenzo Bellini’s 1831 opera, a Druid priestess in Roman-occupied Gaul torn between duty, love, and family.

Norma (opera): An 1831 opera by Vincenzo Bellini about a Druid priestess in Roman-occupied Gaul. The complete work gives Norma her setting, conflicts, and dramatic arc.
Druid: A member of an ancient learned and religious class among Celtic peoples, known chiefly from Greek and Roman accounts. Norma’s priestly office draws on the image of Druids as religious authorities.
Alexandre Soumet: A French playwright whose tragedy Norma, ou L'infanticide appeared in 1831. Soumet’s play supplied the dramatic source for Bellini’s opera.
Adalgisa (voice type): The mezzo-soprano role of Adalgisa in Bellini’s Norma, though early performances assigned it to a soprano. Her lower vocal color distinguishes the younger priestess from Norma in many modern performances.
Casta diva: A famous prayer aria sung by Norma in the first act of Bellini’s opera. Norma’s appeal to the moon goddess reveals her public authority and private anguish.
Gaul: A region of western Europe inhabited by Celtic peoples and conquered by Rome. The opera places Norma amid Roman rule in Gaul.
Felice Romani: An Italian poet and librettist who wrote the libretto for Bellini’s Norma. Romani reshaped Soumet’s tragedy into the opera’s compact dramatic structure.
Dramatic coloratura soprano: A soprano voice combining agility with the weight needed for dramatic roles. Norma’s music demands both elaborate ornamentation and sustained dramatic force.
Mira, o Norma: A duet for Norma and Adalgisa in Bellini’s opera. The duet turns Norma’s rivalry with Adalgisa into reconciliation.
Pollione: The Roman proconsul and Norma’s former lover in Bellini’s opera. His affair with Adalgisa precipitates Norma’s personal and political crisis.

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