Gaul has been entirely conquered by the Romans. The Gauls would have revolted against their occupiers long ago if it weren’t for the priestess Norma, who, evoking Irminsul, the god of war, continually demands that the uprising be postponed. In fact, Norma wishes to prevent war because she is the secret lover of the Roman proconsul Pollione, to whom she has borne two children. But Pollione’s imminent recall forces action, and when Norma discovers that the Roman has long since fallen in love with the young Druid priestess Adalgisa, she declares war against Rome. Then she reveals her own treachery to the Gauls. But what is Norma’s plan? – First performed in Milan in 1831, »Norma« is the most famous opera by Italian composer Vincenzo Bellini. In his new Dresden production, stage director Peter Konwitschny exposes the political core of this story of a woman who shakes the very foundations of her state.