The Teatro delle Muse di Ancona has chosen a charming production of Bellinis Norma to open its season. The production, with scenes and costumes by Hugo De Ana, was performed at the Filarmonico di Verona, last winter. This is a Norma set in a large neo-classical space with frescoes, stucco decoration and enormous columns. There is an appearance of decadence everywhere, as if to say that under the beauty and perfection of neoclassicism, broods the passion of romanticism, represented by the ardour with which Norma, Pollione and Adalgisa love and hate. In this attractive production Adalgisa is not performed by a mezzosoprano, as tradition would like, but by a soprano, as the original version dictates. It is an interesting production also because of the presence of Fiorenza Cedolins (Norma), the new generations soprano of note, and Carmela Remigio (Adalgisa), another interesting soprano who shone as Elettra in the recent production of Mozarts Idomeneo in Rome. In the cast are other important names: Vincenzo La Scola (Pollione) and Andrea Papi (Oroveso). Paolo Di Nicola