NORMA.

“Norma,” a serious opera in two acts, words by Romani, was first produced during the season of Lent, 1832, at Milan, with the principal parts cast as follows:—­

NORMA        Mme. PASTA. 
ADALGISA     Mme. GRISI. 
POLLIONE     Sig.  DONZELLI.

It was first heard in London in 1833, and in Paris in 1855, and Planche’s English version of it was produced at Drury Lane in 1837.  The scene of the opera is laid among the Druids, in Gaul, after its occupation by the Roman legions.  In the first scene the Druids enter with Oroveso, their priest, to the impressive strains of a religious march which is almost as familiar as a household word.  The priest announces that Norma, the high priestess, will come and cut the sacred branch and give the signal for the expulsion of the Romans.  The next scene introduces Pollione, the Roman proconsul, to whom Norma, in defiance of her faith and traditions, has bound herself in secret marriage, and by whom she has had two children.  In a charmingly melodious scena ("Meco all’ altar di Venere”) he reveals his faithlessness and guilty love for Adalgisa, a young virgin of the temple, who has consented to abandon her religion and fly with him to Rome.  In the fourth scene Norma enters attended by her priestesses, and denounces the Druids for their warlike disposition, declaring that the time has not yet come for shaking off the yoke of Rome, and that when it does she will give the signal from the altar of the Druids.  After cutting the sacred mistletoe, she comes forward and invokes peace from the moon in that exquisite prayer, “Casta Diva,” which electrified the world with its beauty and tenderness, and still holds its place in popular favor, not alone by the grace of its embellishments, but by the pathos of its melody.  It is followed by another cavatina of almost equal beauty and tenderness ("Ah! bello a me ritorna").  In the next scene Adalgisa, retiring from the sacred rites, sings of her love for Pollione, and as she closes is met by the proconsul, who once more urges her to fly to Rome with him.  The duet between them is one of great power and beauty, and contains a strikingly passionate number for the tenor ("Va, crudele").  Oppressed by her conscience, she reveals her fatal promise to Norma, and implores absolution from her vows.  Norma yields to her entreaties, but when she inquires the name and country of her lover, and Adalgisa points to Pollione as he enters Norma’s sanctuary, all the priestess’s love turns to wrath.  In this scene the duet, “Perdoni e ti compiango,” is one of exceeding loveliness and peculiarly melodious tenderness.  The act closes with a terzetto of great power ("O! di qual sei tu"), in which both the priestess and Adalgisa furiously denounce the faithless Pollione.  In the midst of their imprecations the sound of the sacred shield is heard calling Norma to the rites.