It has been nearly two decades since Los Angeles Opera ventured the delicate and demanding derring-do of Bellini’s “Norma.”
The bel canto masterpiece (or so they say) from 1831 was back on stage Saturday night in the first of six performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Angela Meade took on the title role (a signature part for Maria Callas) of the Druid high priestess in Roman-occupied Gaul; Russell Thomas was Pollione, the Roman pro-consul and father of Norma’s children; and Jamie Barton was Adalgisa, a younger Druid priestess with whom Pollione has fallen in doubly forbidden love.
Yes, it’s a love triangle, in ancient Rome. The story is basically an excuse for beautiful singing of high tragedy and higher acrobatics and a certain amount of would-be pageantry. The creaky plot may get in the way of the modern listener, but the opera does indeed deliver hours and hours of hummable tunes and feathery filigree if you can stay awake.
The production, borrowed from Washington National Opera and directed by Anne Bogart, didn’t especially help the impatient viewer.
The action (such as it is) took place on a single raked set that doubled as the Druids’ sacred forest and Norma’s pad. The singers moved like chess pieces on a board and more or less stood and sang, stock poses allowed. A troupe of virgin dancers looked as if kidnapped from a Cecil B. DeMille movie. The costumes were nothing to write home about.
Fortunately, the singing was impressive.
Meade, a soprano who hails from Centralia, Wash., and who appears frequently at the Met, made a formidable Norma. She’s got a big, lyric voice that can rise above fortissimo climaxes, yet remains nimble and supple enough for the graceful singing and pianissimo point required in bel canto.
Her singing was not without flaws. It could become strained during ascent, and occasionally her tone exhibited a harsh tinge. Her rendition of the aria “Casta diva” was warm and fluent but also a little too deliberate, lacking pace. Overall, though, she makes a tremendous Norma.
Mezzo-soprano Barton, from Rome, Ga., (all four principals were Americans, in fact) brought a luscious tone and caressing phrasing to the part of Adalgisa, and in her several duets with Meade proved a perfect match.
Tenor Thomas introduced a solid and disciplined Pollione, thankfully free of distracting mannerisms or exaggerated emotions but sometimes a little square. He warmed up nicely, though, for the final scene and was genuinely touching.
Morris Robinson, the giant Fasolt in the company’s “Ring” a few years ago, returned as a huge Oroveso (Norma’s father and Druid leader). His bass boomed but it also had a wonderfully focused and clarion quality as well.
Rafael Moras (Flavio) and Lacey Jo Benter (Clotilde), both members of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program, were capable in smaller roles. The L.A. Opera Chorus handled its duties expertly.
James Conlon proved his usual steady hand in the pit, leading a fluent (some ragged entrances notwithstanding) and nicely motivated account that didn’t shy away from forceful climaxes.
In the end, this “Norma” is an easy call. Go for the singing. Drink coffee beforehand.
Contact the writer: 714-796-6811 or tmangan@ocregister.com
