Norma

Salome Jicia, INO Chorus and William Guanbo Su in Norma. Image, Ruth Medjber

***

Premiering in 1831, the power of Bellini’s classic bel canto opera, Norma, is locked inside its classical references. Bellini’s neoclassicist tale of a druid priestess and her Roman lover who abandons her, and their children, echoing Medea. Felice Romani's libretto, with a plot that barely sustains its own weight, containing dramatic themes of potent tension. Polarities between faithfulness and betrayal, revenge and forgiveness, paganism and civilisation, love of country and love of enemy offering rich interpretive possibilities. All touched upon by director Orpha Phelan who takes a predictable route. Garnering support for those seeking to outlaw dystopian military models when reimagining operas for adding little and subtracting much. Madeline Boyd’s set and costumes not only failing to elevate the production, but actively dragging it down into a cramped, shambolic spectacle, offset by passages of such musical and vocal beauty.

Salome Jicia in Norma. Image, Ruth Medjber

Opening with a Les Misérables style blockade crowding action downstage, a transformation into a cluttered, bombed out church interior alleviates matters compositionally, allowing the opera's religious motif to catch breath. Throughout, Matt Haskins’ lights work wonders deepening mood and texture, whilst unflattering and uninteresting costumes suggest cut price revolutionaries or low budget Bladerunner. Romani's romantic and pastoral references ignored to the production’s detriment. Having little relation to narrative, ritual is beautifully sung for the sake of being beautifully sung. The effect one of putting in time till the action starts. Which it does when soprano Salome Jicia’s Norma enters like a KGB comrade with red sickle and trench coat. Norma, a mother of two, sleeping with the enemy, a licentious Pollione, is ready to perform her magical mistletoe ritual. Distraught to discover Pollione is leaving her for her younger protégé, the naive Adalgisa, a superb performance by soprano Siobhan Stagg. Tenor Mario Chang’s vocally robust Pollione forever singing the song rather than playing the scene. And who can blame him. The duplicitous Pollione, with his pink, plumed mohawk which he must be sporting as a dare, as imposing as a rejected gang member from Mad Max or Deathwish. A second to both women; neither know Pollione has been playing around behind their backs. The reveal, like a ham fisted comedy, closing out the first act with a trace of tension.

Megan O'Neill and Salome Jicia in Norma. Image, Ruth Medjber

While music confidently establishes itself under Maurizio Benini’s baton, once the orchestra settles, overtures and intermezzos's prove visually overwrought or underwhelming. Vocally, like the inimitable Casta Diva, Norma is a cross country steeplechase over dramatic and vocal hurdles. Jicia's coloratura finishing the course strong, but picking up faults at a few fences. Perhaps opening night nerves, but a strained quality could be heard in places. Throughout, choral, trios and duets succeed better than solos, with choral work simply heavenly and several duets, including Mira, o Norma with Jicia and Stagg, heartbreakingly gorgeous.

Salome Jicia, Aaron O'Hare, Mario Chang & William Guanbo Su in Norma. Image, Ruth Medjber

Dramatically, thematically, operatically, Norma retains immense power. Positioning the eponymous character as a woman of strength rather than a shrinking violet achieves moments that border on epic. But its dystopian imagery and context, its placing of a strong character in inconsistently strong scenes, results in a weakened opera. Still, when it lands right, Norma still packs a knockout punch.

Norma, by Vincenzo Bellini, libretto Felice Romani, presented by Irish National Opera, runs at:

The Gaiety Theatre Dublin till May 30.

National Opera House, Wexford, June 3.

Cork Opera House, June 6.

For more information visit Irish National Opera