Grigorian and Akhmetshina dazzle in a secular Norma at Theater an der Wien

Thanks to pandemic-related delays and scheduling shifts, the Wiener Staatsoper and MusikTheater an der Wien are premiering head-to-head new productions of Norma this week... and the smaller house is not pulling any punches. Bellini’s opera, a cornerstone of the bel canto repertoire, demands not only vocal virtuosity and stamina but also profound emotional depth from its performers. Led by the luminous soprano Asmik Grigorian in the title role, it delivers on all fronts, offering a performance that is both vocally stunning and dramatically compelling. Vasily Barkhatov’s production, under the baton of conductor Francesco Lanzillotta, provides a cohesive interpretation of Bellini’s tragic masterpiece, blending traditional dynamics with a modern sensibility.

Barkhatov teleports the traditional Druidic setting to somewhere, judging by Olga Shaishmelashvili’s costumes, in the 1940s. The evening begins open-curtained, ten years prior, in an artisanal statue-making factory which is subsequently seized. Statues are knocked over and baptized in urine, workers are pummeled and the overture begins. Ten years later the same factory is churning out busts of a dictator, and rebellion is in the air. Zinovy Margolin's sleek set design facilitates seamless transitions between scenes, utilizing confined spaces — including a corridor in front of shared housing — to amplify the production's thematic intensity. The juxtaposition of Norma's private quarters with the shared factory floor mirrors the dualities of personal and public spheres, as well as the tension between past and present.

Not everything makes sense in this reading; falling in love across enemy lines requiring Norma to self-immolate or that keeping two children a secret in shared community housing both defy plausibility, but Barkhatov's decision to eschew the opera's traditional sacred elements in favor of a more secular, yet equally oppressive, setting is an interesting recontextualization. Besides, with bel canto it is not the plot that we are here for, it’s the singing.

At the heart of this production is Asmik Grigorian's riveting portrayal of Norma. Known for her interpretations of roles like Salome or Cio-Cio-San, Grigorian's venture into bel canto territory is both bold and triumphant if not 100% idiomatic. Besides a few forced notes, she vocally owned the brutally difficult role, but it was dramatically that she shone most bright, infusing Norma with fiery intensity. Her ability to navigate the technical demands of “Casta diva” while imbuing it with profound emotional resonance was a testament to her artistry. Oscillating between biting sarcasm, vulnerability and explosive passion, she was particularly effective in her interactions with Adalgisa and Pollione, and filled the gaps left in the occasionally awkward Personenregie convincingly.

Aigul Akhmetshina's Adalgisa was equally compelling. Possessing the kind of luscious mezzo-soprano with so much rich spin that it plugs directly into your central nervous system and sets the entire system to vibrate, I would happily listen to her sing the phonebook. She brought an instrument of rare beauty, stunning vocal agility, modulation across the registers, and emotional nuance to her role debut, and absolutely stole the first act. While following in immense footsteps – the role was conceived for famed soprano Giulia Grisi – Akhmetshina is simply the best Adalgisa I have heard. Her duets with Grigorian, particularly “Mira o Norma” provided the evening's highlights, their voices intertwining beautifully to convey the complex bond between the two characters.

Freddie De Tommaso's portrayal of Pollione was characterized by an agile tenor that began a bit too much on the offensive, but found a more refined balance as the performance progressed. His exchanges with Grigorian, whether sharing a cigarette during “In mia mano alfin tu sei” or in the denouement as he denies Norma’s attempt at suicide by kiln-fire, were particularly moving.

Tareq Nazmi was a resonant Oroveso, Victoria Leshkevich's faithfully caring Clotilde was both compassionate and clear and Gustavo Quaresma made an impeccable Flavio. Francesco Lanzilotta conducted the Wiener Symphoniker with a keen understanding of Bellini's score, balancing the orchestration to support the vocalists but highlighting the music's dramatic contours, while the Arnold Schoenberg Choir delivered a characteristically powerful, cohesive performance.

Vasily Barkhatov’s modernized setting may not fully resolve all narrative plausibilities, but it certainly succeeds in effectively reframing the opera’s timeless themes of love, betrayal and sacrifice within a modern, oppressive context. At its core, however, this Norma is a triumph of vocal artistry, with a dynamite cast delivering performances of extraordinary depth and brilliance. While the Staatsoper’s counter-proposal has yet to be revealed, MusikTheater an der Wien has set a high bar indeed.