On the night of August 19th - Qixi Festival, the NCPA production of Bellini’s Norma returned to the Beijing stage after an eleven-year hiatus. Conductor Marco Alibrando led the China NCPA Chorus and Orchestra, joining an international cast of singers including Lidia Fridman, Antonio Poli, Annalisa Stroppa, Carlo Lepore, WANG Jing, and FENG Haoran. Together, they brought this bel canto masterpiece to life.
A major highlight of this run is that a critical version of Ricordi, published by the musician Roger Parker, was interpreted on the Chinese stage for the first time. Based on Bellini’s autograph manuscript, this version restores the passages, primitive tonality and orchestral details that were cut in earlier performing versions, bringing the work closer to the composer’s original intentions. This version has been previously performed on stages including the Teatro alla Scala and Festival della Valle d’Itria. On the opening night, Conductor Marco Alibrando, with his deep understanding of the bel canto tradition, gave an authentic rendition of Bellini’s music, drawing out its lyrical lines and Romantic colour.
Norma is one of the most demanding soprano roles in the entire bel canto repertoire, yet Lidia Friedman rose to the challenge with a voice of wide range, rich timbre and extraordinary agility.In the famous aria “Casta Diva”, her floating pianissimos and seamless breath control captured Norma’s aloofness. In the Act I finale trio, she gradually unleashed a full spectrum of emotion, with fury, shock and anguish building to a gripping climax. In “Dormono entrambi”, an aria in Act II, Lidia turned inward, conveying the heroine’s hesitation and tenderness toward her children.
Bellini’s arias can give full play to the vocal talent and technical brilliance of the singers. Particularly, the highly demanding and melodious arias for a tenor are indeed great challenges. Antonio Poli, as the Roman Governor Pollione, brought a penetrating, dramatic tenor timbre that vividly protrayed this unfaithful yet passionate nobleman.
Alto Annalisa Stroppa’s Adalgisa was also a compelling character. She has performed Adalgisa many times and knows this character inside out, capturing the character’s innocence, guilt and ultimate determination.
Carlo Lepore, as Oroveso, set the opera’s somber tone from his first utterance. His opening invocation was deep and appealing. In Act II, facing his enraged clansmen, he counseled restraint in a steady voice - a striking contrast to Norma’s fiery declaration of war. In the final scene, when Lepore learned that his daughter was the “traitor”, his voice quavered a little, laying bare a father’s collapse in a deeply touching atmosphere.
Chinese singers WANG Jing and FENG Haoran, as Clotilda and Flavio respectively, gave excellent performances as well.
The China NCPA Chorus sang with good balance, and their shifts between hushed intimacy and powerful moments added real dramatic strength to the performance.
The China NCPA Orchestra performed with precision, enhancing Bellini’s musical expression and providing the singers a solid foundation. The restored orchestral details in the critical edition also left a deep impression on the audience.
On the night of August 20th, another cast of singers, including GU Wenmeng, GUO Zizhao, ZHANG Yajie, GUAN Zhijing, WANG Jing and FENG Haoran, will take the stage together to challenge this highly demanding masterpiece. With solid vocal technique and commanding stage presence, they will offer the audience a fresh look at a young generation of Chinese bel canto singers, to bring out the lasting power of this classic through a complex mix of faith, duty, love, and betrayal. The performance will run until 22nd.
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