I thought I was just coming to a “simple” back-to-season concert version of Norma for a single performance at the Bern Opera… but what I actually witnessed on August 31 was a true performance and a masterclass in music-making!
This was my third Norma of the summer — after La Scala and the Gstaad Menuhin Festival just a few days ago — and Bellini keeps finding ways to thrill me. Written only months before his death at just 35, this final opera is a masterpiece that makes you wonder: what would he have written had he lived as long as Verdi? The music last night was powerful, fast, and razor-sharp under Maestro Andrea Sanguinetti. Half-Italian, half-German, Sanguinetti showed his Italian side immediately — you could feel it from the very first fifteen seconds of the overture, with its crisp attacks and brisk pacing!
That was surprise number one. Surprise number two came quickly after: William Meinert’s voice filled the Swiss capital’s opera house. I had loved him earlier this summer as Sparafucile in Rigoletto in the same theatre, but here he made an even greater impression — a commanding, elegant entrance packed with talent.
But the third surprise was the one that really floored me. Fans of Franco Corelli, take note: Joseph Dahdah is a tenor walking in his footsteps. In the upper register, and even in the way he shapes phrases, I could have sworn with my eyes closed that I was hearing Corelli himself. With striking stage presence and a voice that soars, Dahdah earned the night’s first ovation after a thrilling “Me protegge.” I couldn’t wait to hear him again later in the opera.
And then came a true star. A voice that could make any of today’s top sopranos jealous: Nombulelo Yende. Rarely does a voice completely captivate and electrify an audience like hers did. Her “Casta Diva” held the entire hall still, and the long, thunderous applause that followed confirmed what I felt: she is THE soprano to watch in the bel canto repertoire, no question.
Another highlight was mezzo-soprano Simone McIntosh in the role of Norma’s confidante. She has the perfect look and voice for this role, and her duets with the evening’s prima donna were simply stunning. Her chemistry with Pollione in Act I left no doubt about her artistry.
As for Patricia Westley, she opened her new season as a Bern Opera soloist beautifully. After ending last season on a high note with Rigoletto, she delivered solid work here, and I’m excited to see her in even bigger roles in the months ahead.
This Norma in Bern was proof that what might seem like “just another concert version” can, in fact, become an unforgettable evening. Bern Opera delivered a bold, vocally dazzling performance to close out my August.
