Norma

Music by

Vincenzo Bellini

Olavinlinna Castle venue in Savonlinna, FI

Olavinlinna Castle

Savonlinna, FI

2026

Wednesday
July
29
19:00
Saturday
August
01
19:00

Cast

Norma    Lisette Oropesa
Pollione    John Osborn
Oroveso    Kristoffer Töyrä
Adalgisa    Ann-Kristin Jones
Clotilde    Natallia Salavei
Flavio    William Davis Lind

Conductor

Riccardo Frizza

Orchestra

The Göteborg Opera Orchestra

Chorus

The Göteborg Opera Chorus

About

Norma is wrapped up in forbidden love, much like the classic Romeo and Juliet story. In Norma, the love affair between representatives of opposing factions is complicated by a third party. High Priestess Norma's lover is Pollione, the hated Roman commander who has conquered Gaul. He is also the father of Norma's two secret children. If the affair is revealed, Norma will lose her position. When Pollione falls in love with the young priestess Adalgisa, Norma is furious, and the story takes a tragic and fatal turn.

The work, especially its concert version, has a long tradition. In Norma, one of the masterpieces of bel canto , the audience can enjoy the vocal prowess of the soprano soloists. The work's iconic "Casta diva" aria has been made famous by bel canto heroines Maria Callas and Edita Gruberova, among others.

Now, for the first time, the role of Norma is taken up by Lisette Oropesa, a dazzling star of a young generation of singers, continuing the tradition of great sopranos. She made an indelible impression on Opera Festival audiences as Juliana in Romeo and Juliet in 2023. Since then, she has conquered the world's greatest opera stages and established herself among the true superstars of opera.

Media

Casta Diva - Norma - Carnegie Recital

Reviews

Lisette Oropesan Norma helkkyi kuin unelma – Oopperajuhlien viimeinen ensi-ilta villitsi yleisön

Lisette Oropesan taito, äänen kauneus ja lämmin lavasäteily olivat yhdistelmä, joka valloitti Olavinlinnan yleisön hetkessä.

Norman rooliin pystyvät vain muutamat maailmassa, ja keskiviikkona kuulimme yhtä heistä. Luulenpa, että pian Oropesa laulaa tätä nyt debytoimaansa roolia ympäri maailmaa.

—  Riitta-Leena Lempinen-Vesa  •  Itä-Savo

Norman ensi-ilta vei jalat alta

Jo toista kertaa Savonlinnassa urallaan esiintynyt Lisette Oropesa yksinkertaisesti naulasi koko homman. Ääni soi puhtaasti, kuten bel cantossa kuuluukin, laulu oli voimakasta ja läsnäolo Huikeaa!

—  Eira Kotoneva  •  Uusi Saimaa

Oropesas erste Norma

In Savonlinna konnte das Publikum Oropesas musikalische und technische Belcanto-Kunst nahezu in Bestform genießen. Es ist stets ein Vergnügen, derart sauber ausgeführte Koloraturen, perlende Triller und eine atemberaubende „messa di voce“ zu hören. Selbst nach den sieben Londoner Puritani-Vorstellungen vor wenigen Wochen bleibt die schiere stimmliche Gesundheit von Oropesas Sopran eines der bemerkenswertesten Pfunde, mit dem diese Sängerin wuchern kann.

—  Hugh Canning  •  Oper! Magazin

Savonlinna, entre verde y noches blancas en el país de la música

Algunos preferirán mayor calidez y densidad de timbre pero lo cierto es que, también en esta oportunidad, Oropesa compensó cualquier reparo con un fraseo de superlativa convicción dramática y un fiato incomparable en su expansión hacia agudos luminosamente proyectados en 'Casta Diva'. En su dúo final con el asertivo Pollione de John Osborne, Oropesa prefirió ser mostrarse más doliente que vengativa y, algo inusual para una soprano de coloratura negoció esos temibles trémolos de “Adalgisa fia punita” con buen apoyo y clarísima articulación.

—  Agustín Blanco Bazán  •  Mundo Clásico

Savonlinna Opera Festival 2026: Breathtaking views and a soprano at the peak of her powers

It requires a soprano at the peak of her powers and believable as a high priestess and young mother at the same time. So, at 42, Oropesa is perfect. This is one of the most vocally challenging roles in opera, but Oropesa has the range and agility to make those demands sound an entirely natural consequence of the libretto.

—  Simon Mundy  •  The Independent

Performance History

Lisette has given 2 performances as Norma.