In the role of Adalgisa, Ekaterina Gubanova frequently captivated through her vibrant mezzo-soprano. After their initial quarreling, his aria, “Va crudele,” gave him a chance to present himself as a more authentic lover as they reconciled to their duet. His interactions with Gubanova’s Adalgisa saw the antagonistic effect of these earlier feelings as he urged her away, looming over or circling about her with hostility. These extremes of love and fear are illuminated through his aria “Meco all’altar di Venere,” where his vision of Norma’s vengeance serves as a fatal prophecy for him to rebuke passionately. His opening lines saw the typical ardor of the love-struck tenor nicely tinged by the darker reality of his circumstances with Norma this Pollione sounded to love no less the second time he became involved with a priestess of the druids. This chemistry was vital in their eventual union in death at the pyre, staged as a fatal yet redemptive wedding ceremony for the two.Īs Pollione, Michael Spyres’ rich tenor accomplished much in fleshing out the character of the conflicted Roman proconsul. Vocally, they were well-matched, and neither seemed to shy away from getting more physical. Yoncheva’s battle of wills against Spyres in the final scene saw both actors play off each other to splendid results. Her Act two scene, where she contemplates murdering her children, saw her physically and mentally at her wit’s end, as seen from her hunched, almost-predatory bearing, and heard through her languid pianissimos and lyricism that seemed in dialogue with the unhinged woodwinds. Yoncheva maintained a wellspring of vocal color and dramatic nuance throughout her long time onstage. This display of Norma as a figurehead was wonderfully contrasted by her private cabaletta, “Ah! Bello a me ritorna,” where her truer feelings were shown with infatuated and accurate tones. Her following aria, “Casta Diva,” wove a truly tender invocation to peace, with her delivery and tempo carrying with ease that deftly bore Yoncheva’s sentiments across the broad, lyrical phrases. Her Act one entrance seemed to build off all the musical and dramatic fervor of the earlier numbers as Yoncheva ascended the platform with a palpable air of awe and mystery before her powerful, unaccompanied lines drew all eyes and ears towards herself. In the title role, Yoncheva’s portrayal was nothing short of sublime. All characters, whether the wronged Norma, the oppressed druids, or the conquering Romans, find themselves at a junction, and it is here where the magic and dramatic power of the works unfold. This treatment played well into the allegorical sense of “the forest” as an interpersonal labyrinth, such as what the poet in Dante’s “Divine Comedy” encounters at the beginning of his journey. The many slender trees either filled the space between the numerous warriors for choral numbers or framed the cast nicely during their more private moments, sliding in and out as necessary. Revenge is a Forestĭavid McVicar’s 2017 production is faithful to its source material and effective in its simplicity. On February 28, 2023, the Metropolitan Opera raised the curtain on this season’s run of Bellini’s “Norma,” starring Sonya Yoncheva in the title role.
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