Bellini's Norma Tickets

Soprano Sonya Yoncheva adds another major heroine to her impressive list of Met roles, starring as the fearless title priestess of Bellini’s scorching bel canto drama. The extraordinary cast also features tenor Michael Spyres as Norma’s unfaithful Roman lover, mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Gubanova as Norma’s protégée turned rival, and bass-baritone Christian Van Horn as Norma’s warrior father out for blood. Maurizio Benini conducts David McVicar’s fiery production, which played to sold-out audiences when it premiered in 2017.

World premiere: Teatro alla Scala, Milan, 1831. This opera is an extraordinary fusion of sublime melody, vocal challenge, and dramatic power. It examines an ageless and archetypal situation: A powerful woman compromises her ideals for love, only to find herself betrayed by her lover. But equally gripping is her relationship with the younger woman who is the new object of her former lover’s attention and in whom Norma sees both a rival and a second self. The title role demands dramatic vocal power combined with the agility and technique of a coloratura singer. It is a daunting challenge that few can rise to: those who have are part of operatic lore.