opernhaus zürich
Act One Oroveso, the Chief Druid and Norma’s father, asks the Gallic warriors to beat the gong as soon as the moon rises. This is the signal for his daughter to perform the rite in the sacred grove, where she can also fathom the will of Irminsul, god of war. The men want Norma at last to give the signal to rebel against the occupying Roman forces. The Roman proconsul Pollione, Norma’s secret husband and father of her two children, reveals to his friend Flavio that he has fallen in love with another, younger priestess, Adalgisa. He tells Flavio about a vision he had of Norma’s revenge taking him by surprise at hiswedding to Adalgisa in Rome. – The druids’ sacred gong resounds, and Norma is called into the grove. Flavio warns of the mortal danger threatening any unbeliever who is found in the forest. Pollione affirms that he will vanquish the gods of the Gauls for the sake of his love for Adalgisa. The Gauls gather in order to hear the god Irminsul’s orders from the mouth of their seer, Norma. She opposes their calls for war, as the enemy is in a stronger position, and prophesies that Rome will one day perish, a victim of its own vice. She then invokes the goddess of the moon, asking her to lend weight to her appeals for peace. The people join in her prayer. Norma still intends to protect Pollione, but has not failed to notice that his love for her has diminished. At the altar after all have left, Adalgisa implores Irminsul to help her resist the temptation to which she is subjected by an unknown Roman, whom she has been meeting secretly in the forest for some time. Pollione appears and urges her to go to Rome with him as his wife. She can no longer suppress her feelings and promises to break her priestess’s vows and flee with him the next morning. In Norma’s house, her confidante Clotilde is looking after her two children. Norma has felt ambivalent towards themsince finding out that Pollione has been recalled to Rome; until now he has not revealed to her whether he intends to take her with him. – Clotilde hides the children from Adalgisa, who has come to talk to Norma in confidence. The novice confesses that she has fallen in love and asks Norma either to release her from her vows or to help her to overcome her forbidden love. Adalgisa’s account reminds Norma of her own encounterwith Pollione. She promises Adalgisa that shewill be happy with her lover. Just as Norma asks the lover’s name, Pollione appears. When Adalgisa learns that he is not only Norma’s husband, but has also had children with her, she turns away from him in horror. While Norma curses him, Pollione insists that his love for Adalgisa is stronger than anything else. The singing of the Gauls, far off, calling the priestess to return to the altar of Irminsul, mingles with Norma’s oaths of vengeance.