HGO’s “Norma” production looks kinda awesome.
Combine a clandestine affair, a passionate love triangle, a strong female leader, tension between church and state, and division within a community, and you’ve got a story that feels all too familiar in today’s conflicted society.
Add in the ancient ritual of human sacrifice, and you’ve got the dramatic plot points of Bellini’s famous two-act opera “Norma,” set in Gaul around 50 BC.
“It’s a tour de force,” said New York-based director Kevin Newbury, whose revisionist take on the 1831 production first premiered at San Francisco Opera in 2014 before touring to Barcelona, Toronto and Chicago. “There are very few people that can sing it — maybe a dozen people in the world, and that’s generous.”
One such powerhouse woman is Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska, who will tackle her second climb up this operatic Everest in its debut at Houston Grand Opera on Friday.
The title role in this bel canto masterpiece is not only considered the most vocally demanding in the repertoire, it’s also perhaps the most complex. As a Druid high priestess, Norma is enamored with the enemy, the Roman proconsul Pollione to whom she has borne two children, but she also has a duty to her civilization, which would require rebelling against her lover’s forces.
When Pollione falls in love with the novice priestess Adalgisa, however, Norma is distraught, tempted to sacrifice her own children in an act of revenge. She ultimately sacrifices herself, ascending the flaming wooden bull, a giant war machine built by the Druid warriors throughout the opera. Her motive, however, is left uncertain.
Her demise might be read as an act of surrender, but it might also be seen as an altruistic gesture intended to keep others from the same fate or as penance for breaking her vow of celibacy.
Newbury prefers to emphasize the latter two options, qualifying her action as one of a noble heroine.
“We are sort of creating a universe to support a story that is like a myth or a fantasy,” says costume designer Jessica Jahn, describing the historical research on the Celtic culture and religion she performed in order to bring this gritty, otherworldly, cultlike populace to life. Although not the intent, her work has often been compared to the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones.”
Tribal tattooing was a traditional part of the heritage, and using the indigenous Celtic, Inuit and Maori cultures as inspiration, Jahn had tattoo designs printed on mesh sleeves that nearly disappear from stage. Tattoo art is also incorporated into the men and women’s makeup, a look that is completed with wigs specifically made for the show.
There is a medieval flair throughout the details, and while Norma’s gowns take the same shape as that of the ensemble women, hers are more intricately decorated with lace appliqués, a sparkly organza and delicate tulle. She even has a cloak to wear inside, Jahn said, laughing. “What would a 19th-century diva be without a fancy lounging robe?”
Having a female in power will resonate with modern audiences regardless of one’s political affiliation, Newbury said, but for him, the opera is primarily about sacrifice.
“What are you willing to sacrifice for your culture, for your faith, for your broken heart?” he said.
“What does it mean to sacrifice yourself, to sacrifice your own children and ultimately to sacrifice your own community for love or for religion?”