Starring world renowned mezzo soprano Cecilia Bartoli in the title role
Edinburgh International Festival 2016
The Italian Cultural Institute is proud to present this searing production of Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma with a newly prepared critical edition, restoring the originally intended vocal colours. Cecilia Bartoli performs the iconic role as Bellini originally envisioned it, for a mezzo soprano, with a stellar cast including: Rebeca Olvera, John Osborn, Péter Kálmán, Liliana Nikiteanu and Reinaldo Macias.
Only in this way can we appreciate once more the true magic, the colour and emotion in this music. It was my wish to bring Bellini’s opera closer to the sound world of the bel canto period.
Cecilia Bartoli
The production by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier modernises the story, setting it in occupied France during the Second World War. Since it opened at the Salzburg Whitsun Festival in 2013 it hOpera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835). Performance of the new critical edition by Maurizio Biondi and Riccardo MinasiLibretto by Felice Romani (1788–1865) based on the tragedy Norma ou L’Infanticide (1831) by Alexandre Soumet (1788–1845).A Salzburg Festival production in association with U-Live/Universal Music Arts and Entertainment.
Performed in Italian with English supertitles
An extract of Cecilia Bartoli performing Casta Diva from Norma. She will be opening the 2016 Festival opera programme with performances on 5, 7 & 9 August.
For further information please visit: http://www.eif.co.uk/2016/norma#.Vt2rCvmLTcs