Debra Li

    Debra_lidan@163.com

    ITALIAN composer Vincenzo Bellini is far less familiar for Chinese audiences than Germany’s Richard Wagner, yet Wagner himself had always kept the music scores of Bellini’s “Norma” on the music stand of his piano.

    A rare opportunity will be presented this Friday night, when “Norma” will be staged at Shenzhen Concert Hall under the baton of Fu Renchang, resident conductor for Xiamen Philharmonic. Italian soprano Rachele Stanisci will sing the title character, accompanied by Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. Enrico Castiglione, president of the Bellini Festival in Sicily, will serve as stage director. Chinese tenor Zhang Xueliang and mezzo-soprano Qiu Ying will also collaborate.

    “Bellini, a native of Catania, Sicily, was named ‘the Swan of Catania’ for his long-flowing melodic lines,” Castiglione said. “He was the quintessential composer of bel canto opera.”

    The reasons why Bellini’s works are less performed, according to Castiglione, are partly due to both their tragic quality and to the difficulty of singing the arias.

    “Norma” is a typical case. The opera is set in Gaul during Roman conquest. A secret love unites the seer Norma with Pollione, the Roman proconsul and father of her children. But Pollione has grown tired of Norma and has fallen in love with Adalgisa, a young temple virgin. Despite Adalgisa’s piety, she agrees to flee to Rome with Pollione. When Adalgisa tells Norma of her love, Norma wants revenge. Norma thinks of killing her children, but her love for them finally consigns them to the care of Adalgisa. When Pollione comes to take away Adalgisa, he is seized by Druids. Norma proclaims herself equally guilty and chooses to die with her lover.

    “The title role is generally considered one of the most difficult in the soprano repertoire. It calls for tremendous vocal control of range, flexibility and dynamics,” said Castiglione. “It contains a wide range of emotions: conflict of personal and public life, maternal love, friendship, jealousy, murderous intent, and resignation.”

    The most famous Norma singer was Maria Callas, with 89 stage performances and two studio recordings.

    Stanisci has performed the opera once in Italy, for a weeklong run, and twice in Spain. A graduate from the School for Opera Singers at La Scala, the Italian soprano has performed in major opera houses throughout Europe.

    “You may not be familiar with the opera, but most likely you have heard ‘Casta Diva,’ one of the most familiar arias of the 19th century,” Stanisci said.

    Qiu Ying, a Shenzhen native who graduated with a master’s degree in music from New York University, will sing the role of Adalgisa. She is a mezzo-soprano with Guangzhou-based Trout Opera Company.

    “It’s not easy to stage a complete show of opera, especially in China where the audiences seem to favor symphonies and more modern forms of art. Language barrier is another problem,” Qiu said. “So this is also a great opportunity for me to have a part in this great show.”

    The show will be in the form of a concert, with performers in costumes but without the chorus or stage set.

    The full “Norma” opera is being rehearsed by the National Grand Theater in Beijing and will debut in April next year.

    Time: 8 p.m., Nov. 22

    Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)

    Metro: Longhua or Longgang Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫

    站), Exit C or D