World-class opera with a breathtaking ticket price
Norma (Festival Theatre, Edinburgh) Verdict: More passionate than Carmen ★★★★★
EVERY international festival should have a top ticket – and this year Edinburgh has topped the lot by attracting a true diva of the highest standing. Festival director Fergus Linehan could hardly have produced a more stellar name out of the hat than Cecilia Bartoli.
Making her festival debut, the great Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano utilised her position as artistic director of the Salzburg Whitsun Festival to bring its celebrated production of Bellini’s Norma to Edinburgh. Although this opera is perhaps not hugely familiar to the general public, it is an early 19th-century tragedia lirica regarded as a leading example of the bel canto genre. First performed at La Scala in Milan on December 26, 1831, it is perhaps most famous for the title character’s invocation to the Goddess of the Moon, Casta Diva.
In an era when the phrase is outrageously overused, Miss Bartoli is a truly world-class act. Norma is not the easiest role in the repertoire to master. Indeed, the celebrated Wagnerian soprano Lilli Lehmann once insisted that ‘the singing of all three Brunnhilde roles of Wagner’s Ring Cycle in one evening would be less stressful than the singing of one Norma’.
Not that it seemed to bother Miss Bartoli. As the High Priestess of the Druids, she moved effortlessly between deep, dark, powerful timbres and moments of the utmost delicacy and subtlety. She dominated this production from start to finish.
Originally set in Roman Gaul, Norma’s dread tale of love, betrayal and sacrifice has been updated to mid-20th century occupied France. Is this any particular improvement? Well, you pays your money…
Talking of paying your money, this bigticket show came with a big-ticket price – 140 smackers for the good seats. Talk about rattling their jewellery, John?
WHILE there has been a deal of criticism since such prices were announced, one has to be realistic about this. If you want the best, you pay for the best. If you want top stars, you pay top dollar. And it’s not as though all the seats were £140. Ticket prices started at thirty quid – maybe a tenner on standby, if you were very lucky.
Not that you can put a price on excellence – and excellence was what was on offer. Quite apart from her awe-inspiring vocal performance, Miss Bartoli clearly knows exactly what she wants as artistic director at Salzburg.
This production, though updated in its physical setting, has very much gone back to the original score, albeit using a new critical edition.
Contrary to usual contemporary practice, this Norma is performed uncut. Despite the terror of Norma’s fearful destiny on a sacrificial pyre, Miss Bartoli is insistent that love is at the heart of her tragedy, saying: ‘For me, Norma is one of the greatest love stories – and definitely far more passionate than Bizet’s Carmen.’
That should have them swooning in the salons of Seville.
Aside from Miss Bartoli, the rest of the cast are uniformly impressive. As Adalgisa, the young priestess who becomes Norma’s love rival, Rebeca Olvera brings a lyrical innocence to the darkest of dark places.
Pollione, father of Norma’s two secret children, is a huge tenor presence – until the power of love brings even the Roman Proconsul of Gaul to his knees.
It is always fascinating to listen to such ensembles as I Barocchisti, recreating historical scores on period instruments. The players were most impressive, particularly given that chorus master Gianluca Capuano had to stand in for the sadly indisposed conductor Diego Fasolis at the last minute.
In the end, though, this was all about the leading lady. The five-star rating is for Cecilia Bartoli. Did the supporting cast deserve five stars? Nobody came to see the supporting cast.