Newbury debuted at SFO in 2103 directing the world premiere flop, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene.

SFO’s new production is conceived and staged by Kevin Newbury, with sets by David Korins and costumes by Jessica Jahn. The opera is considered to be the gold-standard of early 19 th century bel canto Italian opera. Pollione has grown tired of Norma and now has his eyes set on Adalgisa, a young Druid priestess whom Norma regards as a friend.

Norma is a Druid high princess in Roman-occupied Gaul who has secretly been sleeping with the enemy- a Roman procounsel, Pollione, and has two illegitimate children as a result. I had prepped most of the week with YouTube recordings of the great Normas-Maria Callas, Montserrat Caballé, Joan Sutherland-and was excited to see how Radvanovsky, rumored to stand in their lauded company, would measure up. Image: Weaver, San Francisco Operaįriday evening’s “ Norma,” San Francisco Opera’s season opener, with soprano Sandra Radvanovsky as Norma, was an evening of firsts-my first time attending on SFO’s big gala night and my first live performance of Bellini’s “Norma.” And, I was lucky enough to score tickets in the 5 th row, close enough to see without even my glasses, also a first. She debuted as Leonora in Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” in 2009, which was also Conductor Nicola Luisotti’s debut as SFO Music Director.

“Norma” marks Radvanovsky’s second SFO appearance. Last fall, Radvanovsky triumphed as Norma at the Metropolitan Opera and, after her SFO performance, will go on to sing the role at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu and Munich’s Bavarian State Opera. Radiant soprano Sondra Radvanosky as Druid high-priestess Norma in San Francisco Opera’s new production of Bellini’s “Norma,” through September 30, 2014.

Norma san francisco opera