Norma is by common consent the finest of the ten operas composed during Vincenzo Bellini's short career. Professor Kimbell provides the biographical and cultural context of the opera, examines its artistic qualities and suggests something of the impression Norma has made on our imaginations and sensibilities in the 165 years since it was first produced in Milan. He considers the great interpretations of the eponymous leading role, while also embracing Bellini's work more generally by presenting some of the critical reactions to his music.