The orchestra's playing was vivid, & the woodwinds sounded sheen. I liked Maestro Nicola Luisotti's vigorous conducting. Apparently Norma wore facial tattoos during the dress rehearsal, but these were evidently removed by opening night. I heard someone comment later that the shimmery dress worn by Norma in the 1st act seemed more Las Vegas than pagan Gaul. The costumes did not make me think of druids or Roman soldiers. There is real fire onstage in the final scene, but the flames last only a few seconds. The staging is static & did not help to involve me in the story. We get occasional glimpses of a winter landscape on the other side. The production's single set is a huge decorated wall that is the entire height of the stage. They were cute & well-behaved & even briefly got the whole stage to themselves at the beginning of act 2. Two very small boys portrayed Norma's children. The male chorus was great, sounding unified & unhesitant. Bass-baritone Christian Van Horn sounded suitably sober & stern as Oroveso. He was a reproving Flavio & communicated urgency. Glueckert's voice is distinctively clear & flowing.
Tenor Marco Berti as Pollione was a forceful singer & seemed to be using a lot of muscle to get through the show. Her voice was lovely, smooth & floating throughout its range, which was often high this evening. She sang her first phrases with such softness & security that I immediately felt confident about the rest of her performance. Mezzo Jamie Barton was terrific as Adalgisa. It was a consistently potent performance. She created a feeling of suspense when she sang quiet, hovering high notes with incredible control. Her low notes were sturdy & strong, & her voice was penetrating high up. She has a big voice & sang with athletic stamina & focus the entire evening. Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky was a powerhouse in the title role. Last weekend I heard Norma at opening night of the San Francisco Opera.
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