Bellini's NORMA in Toulouse – Review by Natalia Dantas – Beautiful voices save a not entirely orthodox staging –
And’ the practice of performing the symphony of operas with the curtain open has now become established. Dances, scenic movements, projections, narrations used as prequels: up to now we had seen everything, but still probably no one had dared to declaim about the music.
On October 5, 2019, the director Anne Delbée dared to perform this much at the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse. An unidentified white deer (it is assumed that it emerged from the Druidic Forest) dared to prophesy in French on the Divine notes of the Norma symphony by Divino Bellini.
The question, unacceptable both from an acoustic and from an artistic point of view, continued in the disturbing action also in other symphonic moments of the Opera, even arousing protests from the public. The bewilderment of the spectators was clear: never heard an audience that refrains from applause at the right end of that symphony.
Whatever he declaimed during the symphony and beyond, this unsightly white stag would have been and has been out of place. Wanting to give a hypothetical interpretation, it was a sort of apotropaic figure, who never had anything to do with Norma. There was, however, no trace of the Druidic oak or of the mistletoe on stage. The moon appeared clearly late compared to the intentions expressed in the libretto, which already addresses the moon in Casta Diva. In short, one wonders if the director had read the verses of Romani.
The scenic coldness of this Norma, then, was glacial; colder than the distant places in which she is set: a glossy whole of Abel Orain's scenes, with an inclined plane in the center and some projection in the background and on the sides; the refined but anonymous and timeless costumes of Mine Vergez, who had placed, among other things, a symbolic, enormous scorpion on Pollione's armor, the equally cold lights of Vinicio Cheli.
Audience displaced and bewildered above all by connoisseurs after, moreover, having already listened to an orchestra launched by Maestro Giampaolo Bisanti in the symphony at full volume. Which began to bode poorly for the orchestral fate of the sequel.
In fact, the whole work was influenced by the direction of well-finished dynamics but in a certain sense "flattened" by the whole forte and fortissimo, save, fortunately, for a few moments. Even in the accompaniment of Casta Diva, in the pauses of the beautiful voice of Norma, Marina Rebeka, the famous cantabile has not been spared from accents of sonorous excess. In this case, therefore, it is necessary to recognize Maestro Bisanti's ability to carefully follow and support the interpreter, but not that of giving up accentuated sonorities as soon as he finds a glimmer of them. Bellini's tempos, to be honest, have been corrected and this is a credit to Director Bisanti.
We must therefore conclude that this French Norma was of great importance above all because it enjoyed very interesting voices.
Marina Rebeka, Norma, has a phonatory apparatus of admirable power and flexibility. A rare ease of emission and agility made her role almost a walk, enjoying the soprano of an absolutely remarkable squillo and projection. She hopes that even the interpretation, which was not duly supported by the direction, will evolve to the same level: an out of the ordinary voice.
Delicate, endowed with elegant chiaroscuro, moderate but effective in the moments in which the ring should have come out, the sweet Adalgisa by Karine Deshayes, which confirms respectable vocal and scenic skills.
The two beautiful female voices, different but complementary, magically merged in the famous duets: really nice to listen to a Bellini respectful of times and accents.
Hairàm Hernandez's Pollione was a real surprise, as we are used to seeing and listening to Pollioni who are elderly and/or, at times, lacking in high notes. He too was up to the great female voices and even in the most difficult passages he showed off a beautiful timbre and an ease of phrasing that made him pleasant and credible, to be heard even in the high notes.
Less pregnant, but correct, Bálint Szabó's Oroveso, from which we would have liked greater authority both vocally and scenically.
To tell the truth, all the concertatos are very pleasant, with top-level supporting actors; the Coro du Capitole, directed by Alfonso Caiani, was good.
In short: this Norma, albeit kept for a while’ over the top by Director Bisanti, had a cohesive and coherent listening effect and was saved above all by the high quality of the voices.
Many times now, it's better to close your eyes during the staging of some works, but unfortunately, as Bellini's notes rose, you couldn't close your ears to the disturbing phonatory delirium of the white deer. To which the most demanding spectator wondered whether it would not be advisable, from now on, to go to the theater carrying a shotgun…
Natalia Dantas
PHOTOS ©Cosimo Mirco Magliocca – Video Toulouse Capitole Theater