Editing Norma (opera) (section)

=== Premiere performances ===
After rehearsals began on 5 December, Pasta balked at singing the "Casta diva" in act 1, now one of the most famous [[aria]]s of the nineteenth century. She felt that it was "ill adapted to her vocal abilities",<ref>Sherillo{{who|date=July 2021}}, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=104}}</ref> but Bellini was able to persuade her to keep trying for a week, after which she adapted to it and confessed her earlier error.<ref name=WEIN104>{{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=104}}</ref> At the opening night, the opera was received with what [[Herbert Weinstock|Weinstock]] describes as "chill indifference".{{sfn|Weinstock|1971|p=105}} To his friend [[Francesco Florimo]], on the night of the premiere, Bellini wrote "Fiasco! Fiasco! Solemn fiasco!" and proceeded to tell him of the indifference of the audience and how it affected him.<ref>Bellini to Florimo, 26 December 1831, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=105}}</ref>

In addition, in a letter to his uncle on 28 December, Bellini tried to explain the reasons for the reactions. As other commentators have also noted, some problems were innate to the structure and content of the opera, while others were external to it. Bellini discusses the tiredness of the singers (after rehearsing the entire second act on the day of the premiere) as well as noting how certain numbers failed to please—and failed to please the composer as well! But then he explains that most of the second act was very effective. It appears from the letter that the second evening's performance was more successful and Weinstock reports it was from this performance forward that it "was recognised as a successful and important opera" with 208 performances given at La Scala alone by the end of the 19th century.{{sfn|Weinstock|1971|p=268}}

Among the external reasons, Bellini cited the adverse reaction caused by "hostile factions in the audience"<ref name=KIMB>{{harvnb|Kimbell|2001|p=51}}</ref> consisting of both the owner of a journal (and his [[claque]]) and also of "a very rich woman", who is identified by Weinstock as Contessa [[Yuliya Samoylova (countess)|Giulia Samoyloff]], the mistress of the composer [[Giovanni Pacini]]. On Bellini's part, there had long been a feeling of rivalry with Pacini ever since the failure of his own ''[[Zaira (opera)|Zaira]]'' in Parma and his return to Milan in June 1829. With no firm contract for a new opera for Bellini, Pacini's success with his ''Il Talismano'' at La Scala—where it received 16 performances—fueled this rivalry, at least in Bellini's head. It was only when he staged a triumphant revival of his own with ''[[Il pirata]]'' with the original cast that he felt vindicated. ''Pirata'' received 24 consecutive performances between 16 July and 23 August 1829, thus outnumbering those for Pacini's opera.<ref name=WEIN79>{{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=79–82}}</ref> 

However, Bellini also noted that on the second performance evening of ''Norma'', the theatre was full.<ref>Bellini to Vincenzo Ferlito, 28 December 1831, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=106}}</ref>
In all, ''Norma'' was given 34 performances in its first season at La Scala, and reports from elsewhere, especially those from Bergamo, when it was staged in late 1832, suggested that it was becoming more and more popular. Between 1831 and 1850 Weinstock provides details of the dozens of performances given in numerous cities outside of Italy, and then he gives details of those beyond.{{sfn|Weinstock|1971|pp=270–275}}

Bellini left Milan for Naples, and then Sicily, on 5 January 1832 and, for the first time since 1827, 1832 became a year in which he did not write an opera.{{sfn|Weinstock|1971|pp=107–108}} ''Norma'' quickly "[conquered] the whole of Europe in the space of a few years".<ref name=KIMB />