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. The overture to the opera, for which the composer reserved the then old-fashioned term “Sinfonia”, nevertheless performs the role of a modern overture in that it introduces themes later heard in the opera. Instrumentation: 2(2nd dPicc).2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(1): Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set). Reprint edition.