Vincenzo Bellini

Norma: Act II, Scene 1, Duet (2 sopranos)

Norma is a two-act lyric tragedy by Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835). A leading example of the bel canto genre, the opera premiered at La Scala in Milan on December 26th, 1831. The story tells of a love triangle between Norma, the High priestess of the druids, her Roman lover, and a younger priestess for whom the Roman has fallen. This excerpt occurs in the first scene of Act II. After rejecting killing her two sons with the Roman Pollione as a solution, she instead chooses to entrust her children to the young priestess Adalgisa and Pollione so that they may live in the duet, "Deh! con te, con te li prendi" / "Please, take them with you." Adalgisa agrees but tells Norma that she intends to persuade Pollione to return to the mother of his children in another duet, "Mira, o Norma" / "Look, o Norma." This excerpt is in the original key of F. A transposed version to E-flat is also available from the publisher as A9029. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp:Perc(1): Str (4-4-3-3-3 in set).