Opera: NORMA Opéra Royal de Wallonie, Liège

Rising Alternatives and Cinestudio present an Ultra High Definition production of Bellini’s most famous bel canto work, in a new production by the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège. The story – of Celts in Gaul under attack by the Roman army – tackles conflicts of war and peace, sacrifice and betrayal. Casta diva, the virtuosic opening aria of Norma, made famous by everyone from Maria Callas to Montserrat Caballé, is a symbol of Italian opera that guarantees thrills, even to the novice listener.

“Bellini’s most astonishing achievement is…his belief that the true magic of opera depends on a kind of incantation in which dramatic poetry and song are perfectly fused.” – David Kimbell, The New Penguin Opera Guide. Opera