Casta Diva (from “Norma”)

Description

The opera is regarded as a leading example of the bel canto genre, and the soprano prayer “Casta diva” in Act 1 is a famous piece. Probably the most important Norma of the first half of the 20th century was Rosa Ponselle who triumphed in the role both in New York and in London.

Notable exponents of the title role in the post-war period have been Maria Callas, Leyla Gencer, Joan Sutherland, Montserrat Caballé and, in the 2015 Biondi-Minasi critical edition based on Bellini's autograph score, Cecilia Bartoli.