Director Alex Olle's production of “Norma,” which premiered to open the 2016 season at the Royal Opera House in London, is set to be staged at the Seoul Arts Center from Oct. 26-29.

“I am happy to conduct one of the true masterpieces of Italian operas. Bellini’s (composition) is very demanding technically. ... It is a difficult piece to cast. Without exceptional singers, it's better not to perform," said conductor Roberto Abbado during a press conference Monday. The performance is accompanied by the Korean National Symphony Orchestra with the Noi Opera Chorus.

"The shape of the melody is very long and broad. The shape of musical numbers requires longer breath and a longer arch," explained Abbado.

Particularly, the aria "Casta Diva," one of the defining moments of the opera, is known for its intricate vocal acrobatics. As the first aria sung by the protagonist Norma, the singer needs to convey the charisma of a priestess intertwined with her complex inner emotions through a melodic composition.

• ·Yoon nominates former boss to head broadcasting watchdog
• ·“가자주민 삶 최악…한국지원 절실”
• ·尹지지율 긍정 33%·부정 58%…"명절 기간 물가 등 경제난 체감"
• ·[Herald Interview] Samuel Youn celebrates career in ‘From Darkness to Light’
• ·[News Focus] Why Kim Jong
• ·尹 보선 첫 반응 "선거 결과서 교훈 찾아, 지혜롭게 변화를"
• ·[Herald Interview] Dyson engineer stresses potential of Korean hair care market
• ·28th BIFF comes to an end
• ·Seoul shares open lower on US tech slide
• ·S. Korea may decide to increase medical student quota as early as next week
• ·[Herald Interview] Dyson engineer stresses potential of Korean hair care market
• ·Korean economy expected to grow by 2.1% in 2024: Hana Institute
• ·GC Biopharma breaks ground for Indonesia’s first blood products plant
• ·N. Korea sent more than 1,000 containers of military equipment, munitions to Russia: White House
• ·New US special envoy for N. Korean human rights issues takes office, plans to visit Seoul next week
• ·한 경기도 안 뛰고 병역 면제?…국감 오른 아시안게임 '병특'