What is normal for a deer, then Norma is death – Kommersant

Opera singer Khibla Gerzmava performs on the stage of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater in the title role of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera Norma. The editor-in-chief of the Kompozitor publishing house tells how the bel canto masterpiece and the famous prima, who is at the zenith of her career, fit together Peter Pospelov.

The repertoire of Khibla Gerzmava is dominated by Italian operas, although there are French and Russian operas in smaller numbers. Her career lasts for almost thirty years (the first achievement is the victory at the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1994), and during this time she has made a natural path from parts written for a thin and light voice to dramatic parts that require a large and rich sound – which they loved write Verdi and Puccini.

Perhaps the most difficult thing in the singer’s repertoire is the bel canto opera, which requires a combination of a voluminous voice and virtuoso coloratura. There are two peaks of style here – “Lucia di Lammermoor” by Gaetano Donizetti and “Norma” by Vincenzo Bellini. Gerzmava conquered the first in 2009. It was an unconditional success: the performance of the Musical Theater named after Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko and the artist herself received the Golden Masks. Experience is added, but the years go by. 12 years have passed between Lucia and Norma: Gerzmava sang Bellini’s opera in Madrid in 2021, and now, two years later, she entered the stage of her native theater with a finished part.

This party is one of those that great artists should sing: in the 19th century it was Giuditta Pasta and Maria Malibran, in the 20th century it was Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland and Montserrat Caballe. The priestess of the Druids, who leads the brethren under Roman rule, keeps them from rebellion: Rome will not fall from our spears, she sings, but from her own vices in which she is mired. But everything is much more complicated: Norma herself loves the Roman invader, broke her vow of chastity for him and bore him children. And then there is a young rival. Composer Bellini and librettist Felice Romani skillfully stir up intrigue, throwing heroes from one passion to another – until in the finale the priestess and her chosen one selflessly ascend the sacrificial fire.

Khibla Gerzmava holds the stage and leads the party as befits a true prima – her emotion is large, her gestures are majestic, her grief is immeasurable, her rage frightens, her humility disarms. The voice in the acoustics of the theater, perfectly mastered by the artist, sounds rich and round, the recitation in recitatives convinces with the height of the style, the cantilena is soft, the breath is impeccable. Of the minuses: the tops (A, B flat) are noticeably erased, which is heard mainly in places that require a round sound. Therefore, the legendary Casta diva (at the performance on May 23) was not a success for the artist. Virtuoso mobility is also a bit lacking: the chromatic graces are slightly indistinct. However, the experience has an undoubted advantage: the artist knows how to skillfully hide the shortcomings of the vocals – and we do not think about them, but about beautiful music.

The Roman Pollion, beloved by the priestess, was performed by Vladimir Dmitruk. His strong and clear tenor was flexible and ringing, the highs sounded confident and unforced. The role of the rival, the young novice Adaljiza, was played by the theater intern Polina Sharovarova, and also very successfully. Her flexible high mezzo responded to all challenges of tempo and tessitura. And yet both partners are promising artists, yet lacking the charisma comparable to that radiated by the main character. Which is hardly correct: the great Norms of past centuries had no less great Adaljiza and Pollio.

Christian Knapp, an American from the Mariinsky Theatre, meticulously assembled ensembles, choir and orchestra that sounded transparent, collected, and mostly accurate. He did not act as a leading conductor, but rather as an accompanist closely following the singers.

In fact, hardly anyone in this performance could give instructions to Khibla Gerzmava – including, probably, the director Adolf Shapiro. Their happy collaboration took place back in 2009, at the production of Lucia di Lammermoor. Not all directors who have come from the drama agree to accept a hierarchy in which the person who sings is at the top, and active authorial direction is the least suitable for bel canto opera. But Adolf Shapiro acted like a gentleman; now, putting on “Norma”, he acted in a similar way. A good solution is to raise the orchestra over the pit during the Symphony (overture), forcing the accompanists to play standing up and thereby emphasize that the main thing in this theater is music. And then we remember the presence of the director only when, as an exception, he does something not very successful – for example, when he releases Norma on stage long before the place provided by the composer, or makes Pollio sing declarations of love, sitting astride a fallen tree.

But the director gave the stage designer and costume designer Maria Tregubova the right to the author’s statement, and it developed into a parallel plot with many mysterious meanings. In a technologically made performance, there are five changes of scenery, two of them are made in front of the audience, and the audience applauds. The time of action is transferred to the modern militarized world, sustained in gray tones – so that in the final scene of the ascension to the fire, red color predictably appears. At the same time, the Druids oppressed by the Romans look very neat – like fashion models in coats and hats on a fashion show. A forest, architectural fantasy and a whole garden of sculptures were invented. And the main charm is deer and roe deer, flying and running, fake and computer – and all in full growth. They are probably the ritual animals that were supposed to be sacrificed to the gods – and now they are sincerely surprised why the tragic heroine herself steps into the sacred flame instead of them.