In a Gaul quivering with revolt against Roman occupation, the priestess Norma asks for peace, with a prayer to the moon, the “chaste diva,” in an aria that has become celebrated; but the drama that unfolds against this backdrop is all intimate. Three main characters: Norma, secret companion of the Roman proconsul; the proconsul Pollione, a faithless and libertine; and Adalgisa, an unsuspecting and his ill-advised lover. Various twists and turns are dictated by the turmoil of feelings, with the transition from revenge tragedy (like the classic Medea) to romantic sacrifice in the name of the affections: the outcome is a modern tragedy, as Schopenhauer wrote, a masterpiece of the librettist Romani, whose verses suggest to Bellini an unparalleled melodic wave, tender and poignant.
