Debut of Bellini’s Norma

No other opera has received as much attention and acclaim as the story of the Druid princess. The title role has been sung by almost every famous soprano in the world.

Taconic Opera has found the perfect Norma in soprano Francesca Mondanaro.  “[Mondanaro’s] could well be the best interpretation..I have ever heard live or on record, one that compares favorably with Maria Callas’s and Marisa Galvany’s, to name two. Mondanaro’s voice conjures up shades of a kind of Verdi soprano that has seemingly all but vanished. The voice itself is unforgettable – voluminous, lush, and beautiful, with a contralto-like darkness and an attractive vibrato.  Chest notes were powerful and incisive, and the role’s perilous leaps were nailed without the smallest hesitancy or misstep in intonation. The voice sliced cleanly through the most voluminous ensembles like a hot knife through butter.” …musicalcriticism.com