Opera Monday: Mira, o Norma

The Opera: Norma by Vincenzo Bellini, libretto (lyrics) by Felice Romani. Premiered at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, December 26, 1831.

The Artists: Australian coloratura soprano Dame Joan Sutherland (b. Nov. 7, 1926) and American mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne (b. Jan. 16, 1934.) [Note: This is obviously a televised concert setting; I was unable to ascertain its provenance. If anyone knows, please let me know.]

The Opera: Norma (Sutherland) is a druid priestess, secretly in love with the Roman proconsul Pollione, by whom she has had two children. Pollione has begun to pursue Norma’s friend, Adalgisa (Horne), who, unaware of Norma’s relationship with him, confesses her love for the proconsul to her friend. In this famous duet from Act II, “Mira, o Norma,” Adalgisa tells Norma of her intention to go to Pollione to persuade him to return to Norma, and swears her everlasting friendship to the priestess.

Why It’s Fabulous: Bellini’s Norma is considered by many to be the masterpiece of what is known as the bel canto (literally “beautiful singing”) genre of opera. Bel canto grew out of the Italian opera tradition, and reached its height in the early to mid-nineteenth century, notably in the operas of Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Gioacchino Rossini. According to The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, it emphasizes “beautiful tone, fine legato phrasing, and impeccable technique, though not at the total expense of dramatic expression.”

Not only does “Mira, o Norma” exemplify the traits that make this style of singing so exciting, this clip features two of its greatest exponents, Sutherland and Horne, at the peak of their powers. It gives us a taste of these two extraordinary voices, blending in exquisite harmony; each retaining the unique qualities that make these artists instantly recognizable.

Libretto:

ADALGISA Mira, o Norma, a’ tuoi ginocchi questi cari tuoi pargoletti! Ah! Pietade di lor ti tocchi, se non hai di te pietà!	ADALGISA See, O Norma, at your knees your dear children. Let pity for them move you, if you feel no pity for yourself!
NORMA Ah! Perchè, perchè la mia costanza voi scemar con molli affetti? Più lusinghe, ah, più speranza pesso a morte un cor non ha!	NORMA Ah! Why do you try to weaken me with such soft feelings? Such illusions, such hopes are not for one about to die!
ADALGISA Mira questi cari pargoletti, questi cari, ah, li vedi, ah! Mira, o Norma, a’ tuoi ginocchi, etc.	ADALGISA See these dear children, these dear ones, ah, see them! See, O Norma, at your knees, etc.
NORMA Ah! Perchè, perchè la mia costanza, etc.	NORMA Ah! Why do you try to weaken me, etc.
ADALGISA Cedi! Deh, cedi!	ADALGISA Relent! Ah, yield!
NORMA Ah! Lasciami! Ei t’ama.	NORMA Ah! Leave me! He loves you.
ADALGISA Ei già sen pente.	ADALGISA And already he repents.
NORMA E tu?	NORMA And you?
ADALGISA L’amai. Quest’anima Sol l’amistade or sente.	ADALGISA I loved him. Now I feel only friendship.
NORMA O giovinetta! E vuoi?	NORMA O, child! And what will you do?
ADALGISA Renderti i dritti tuoi, O teco al cielo agli uomini Giuro celarmi ognor.	ADALGISA Return to you what is yours, or hide myself, with you, from God and man.
NORMA Sì. Hai vinto. Abbracciami. Trovo un’amica amor.	NORMA Yes. You have won. Embrace me. I have found a loving friend.
NORMA ED ADALGISA Sì, fino all’ore estreme compagna tua m’avrai. Per ricovrarci insieme Ampia è la terra assai. Teco del fato all’onte Ferma opporrò la fronte, Finchè il tuo core a battere Io senta sul mio cor, sì.	NORMA AND ADALGISA Yes, until the end of my days, I shall stay with you. The earth is big enough to shelter us both from love. Together with you, courageously, we shall fight outrageous Destiny, as long as in our breasts our loving hearts will beat.

Recommended Listening:

Norma (Vincenzo Bellini) ~ Decca (196?); Sutherland, Horne, Alexander, Cross, Minton, Ward, London Symphony Orchestra/Bonynge

Norma (Vincenzo Bellini) ~ EMI/Angel (1954); Callas, Stignani, Filippeschi, Rossi-Lemeni, Caroli, Cavallari, Orch. del Teatro alla Scala, Milano/Serafin

Anti-vaxxers Score Own-Goal in Defense of Wakefield

Img. courtesy inquisitr.com

The anti-vaccination movement took some spectacular body-blows this week.

First their hero Andrew Wakefield was thoroughly spanked by Britain’s General Medical Council for “unethical, dishonest and callous”  behavior, after a two-year investigation into his conduct during the period he was carrying out research on developmentally disabled children.

Then, in a rare move for a respected medical journal, The Lancet officially retracted his long-discredited 1998 study—the one that fueled concerns about the MMR vaccine and autism.

As if this weren’t bad enough, the predictable hue and cry from anti-vaccinationists claiming Wakefield is being scapegoated has included some surprising own-goal admissions from some of their most prominent spokespeople.

Kim Stagliano, managing editor of anti-vax blog Age of Autism appeared on CNN to defend Wakefield and the failed vaccines-cause-autism hypothesis, saying that the study never claimed to prove a link between MMR vaccination and autism.

This fact is repeated in the Wakefield apologia written by Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy (published at Age of Autism):

“Despite rampant misreporting, Dr. Wakefield’s original paper regarding 12 children with severe bowel disease and autism never rendered any judgment whatsoever on whether or not vaccines cause autism…”

True. Or, rather, truthy.

While the paper’s published conclusion contained the statement that it “did not prove an association between measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and the syndrome described” [what Wakefield later termed “autistic enterocolitis”],  the authors added:

“We have identified a chronic enterocolitis in children that may be related to neuropsychiatric dysfunction. In most cases, onset of symptoms was after measles, mumps, and rubella immunisation. Further investigations are needed to examine this syndrome and its possible relation to this vaccine.”

Moreover, in a subsequent video news release and at a press conference to held to publicize the paper, Wakefield made no bones about his feelings:

“…I have to say that there is sufficient anxiety in my own mind of the safety, the long term safety of the polyvalent, that is the MMR vaccination in combination, that I think that it should be suspended in favour of the single vaccines, that is continued use of the individual measles, mumps and rubella components.”

So, are Stagliano, Carrey and McCarthy admitting that Wakefield misrepresented his study’s findings?

And if, as anti-vaxxers protest, the retraction of the paper is no big deal, since it never said MMR caused autism anyway, why is it listed on Generation Rescue’s “14 Studies” website as one of the studies “that helps support a connection between vaccines and autism and other disorders”?

And why does Generation Rescue’s analysis state:

“This study demonstrates that the MMR vaccine triggered autistic behaviors and inflammatory bowel disease in autistic children”?

A statement from Generation Rescue (“Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey’s Autism Organization”) published on Age of Autism in support of Wakefield starts by vilifying pharmaceutical companies and mentions the “thousands of parents” who feel their children regressed after MMR vaccination.

Later, they note that Wakefield’s study never told parents not to vaccinate.

Yet they conclude:

“Dr. Andrew Wakefield is perhaps this debate’s greatest hero. He’s a doctor who has held onto the truth, unbowed, through pressure that would break most mortals. Dr. Wakefield’s influence in saving other children from the fate that befell so many children is incalculable.”

If  Wakefield’s study didn’t tell people not to vaccinate, how did Wakefield “save” these children, and from what “fate?”

Let’s see if I can summarize Generation Rescue et al’s position:

The retraction of Wakefield’s Lancet paper means little in the debate over vaccines and autism because it never said MMR caused autism, even though it “demonstrated” that MMR “triggered” autistic symptoms, so Dr. Wakefield is a hero for saving kids from MMR-induced autism because he fearlessly published a paper that didn’t tell people not to get their kids the MMR vaccination.

Got it.

Mike Adams (aka HealthRanger) Goes Berzerk over Shorty Awards

Perhaps Mike could benefit from this product. (Img. courtesy www.modernherbalist.com)

For those of you who aren’t Twitterers (or “Twits” as some would have it), the Shorty Awards are the latest iteration of the high-school-redux popularity contests that are new media awards. In this one, Twitterers are invited to vote for their favorite fellow-Twits in a variety of categories.

Alt-med guru Mike Adams (soi-disant “Health Ranger”), who was in the lead in the health category a few days ago, was disqualified when someone noticed that a large number of the votes for him came from Twitter accounts that appeared to have been created solely to vote for him, in violation of the rules.

Adams promptly had a public and embarrassing tantrum, quickly followed by a very funny rant two very funny rants about what skeptics—whom he blames for his disqualification—believe.

Why would Adams care? The only benefit of winning is that the honoree gets an instant boost of fame and followers—two attributes that are only important to egocentrics or marketers.

Really Bad Christmas Songs

‘Round about December 1, one of our local radio stations starts its month-long marathon of Christmas music. I have to listen, I cannot help myself. (The first step is admitting you have a problem, am I right?) I am like the main character in Kennedy Toole’s  A Confederacy of Dunces, who can’t stop going to see Doris Day movies so he can yell “abomination!” at the screen.

Therefore, I feel I’m in a position to pontificate about some truly eardrum-rendingly bad Christmas.

Poor Age of Autism: Even the Philanthropists Are Out to Get Them

Recent tweet from Age of Autism (AoA):

The link leads to a news story about a couple who donated $1 million to a foundation that trains physicians in developing countries to treat club foot using a non-surgical method developed by late orthopedic surgeon Ignacio Ponseti.

Poor AoA.

They sure have it tough. Not only do they have kids with autism, but it seems like everyone is out to get them: