Bill Clinton. Gary Hart. John Edwards. The list of politicians undone by matters of the bedroom is long. But in Vincenzo Bellini's Norma, the leader with a secret is a woman — a Druid high priestess who's been quietly raising two children with the commander of the occupying Roman army. Nobody's leaking texts to the tabloids. On the line are her people, her faith, and eventually her life. And that's before she learns her lover has moved on to a younger priestess.

Welcome to grand opera.

Madison Opera opened its 65th season Oct. 30 at Overture Hall with the company's first production of Bellini's 1831 masterpiece. It's an ambitious choice. Norma is one of the great monuments of bel canto, the Italian tradition of beautiful singing that demands extraordinary vocal flexibility, seemingly endless breath control, and the ability to make even the most difficult passages sound effortless. And Bellini doesn't make it easy.

Arguably, the title role is among the most difficult in the soprano repertoire — not just for its vocal acrobatics, but for its exposure. In her role debut, Keely Futterer as Norma must summon the authority of a religious leader, the vulnerability of a betrayed lover, and the desperation of a mother, often within moments of each other. Futterer brings considerable vocal power to the role, attacking Bellini's demanding passages with dramatic intensity rather than the floating lyricism and delicacy of phrasing we often associate with bel canto. It's an interesting approach, though at times this sounds more like Verdi than Bellini.

And then there is Adalgisa (Katherine Beck), the younger priestess who unwittingly becomes Norma's romantic rival. Beck has a distinctive vocal texture, one that makes her sound unlike just about anyone else. Most of the time it works, particularly in duets and passages with the full orchestra behind her.

But Futterer and Beck have some formidable ghosts looking over their shoulders. Joan Sutherland and Marilyn Horne immortalized these roles in their legendary 1964 recording, setting a standard that singers have been chasing ever since. That's a tough act to follow.

No one should expect singers to have every aspect of these characters figured out in their role debuts. Futterer and Beck are about 95 percent there. But at times Futterer's considerable power veers toward shouting, while Beck's tone occasionally sounds a little too far back in the throat, losing some of its clarity. These are relatively minor moments in otherwise impressive performances. Both women have the voices for these roles, and I suspect audiences will hear even more from them as they settle into the characters.

The men fare a bit better. Tenor Joshua Stewart's voice rings throughout the evening as Pollione, the Roman commander whose romantic judgment leaves something to be desired. It's a consistently strong performance, even if Pollione himself isn't particularly likable. He's already betrayed Norma before the curtain goes up, and things only get worse from there.

As Oroveso, Norma's father and leader of the Druids, bass Wm. Clay Thompson brings a round, resonant voice with a growling gravitas. He sounds exactly like someone who could convince an entire people to go to war. Both men make strong musical choices, and they deliver.

But the opera isn't really about Pollione. It's about the two women who have the misfortune of falling for him. Adalgisa has no idea her new lover is already spoken for. That is, until Norma, in a moment of sororal sympathy, asks his name just as he walks in. Awkward.

What follows is the confrontation you might expect, but not for long. Instead of remaining rivals, the two women find themselves moving toward something closer to sisterhood. Their Act II duet, "Mira, o Norma," is one of Bellini's great musical moments, two voices weaving together as the women discover that their loyalty to each other might be worth more than their love for a man who hardly deserves either of them.

Holding everything together is John DeMain, Madison Opera's principal conductor since 1994. DeMain understands that Bellini's orchestra exists to support the singers, not compete with them. The Madison Symphony Orchestra gives Futterer plenty of room in the famous "Casta diva," then comes roaring back when the Druids call for war.

Bellini's music can sound deceptively simple. But those long, arching melodies require an orchestra that knows when to step forward and, more importantly, when to get out of the way. DeMain knows exactly how to do both. His conducting is nimble, responsive, and consistently supportive of the singers. We're fortunate to have a conductor of his caliber in Madison.

Fenlon Lamb's staging is fairly conventional and leans heavily on ritual. Opera has always required a certain suspension of disbelief. People stop in the middle of arguments to sing about their feelings, conversations that should take 30 seconds stretch into 10-minute duets, and characters sometimes stand around while the orchestra explains what's happening. Lamb doesn't do much to overcome these norms, and there are stretches where the action feels static. Fortunately, Bellini's score gives us plenty to listen to while everyone is standing around. 

The Madison Opera Chorus, under Anthony Cao's direction, deserves special mention. The men's chorus is particularly impressive, singing with a unified, commanding sound that makes the Druids' calls for rebellion convincing. And when the full chorus launches into "Guerra, guerra!" ("War, war!"), Bellini lets everyone loose. It's one of those moments when you remember just how thrilling a large chorus can be, especially when it's singing this well.

The second act builds toward Bellini's extraordinary finale, when Norma must finally decide whether to protect herself or acknowledge what she's done. And suddenly, what began as a romantic scandal becomes a genuine tragedy.

Madison Opera's Norma isn't perfect, but there's much to admire. Futterer and Beck take on two of the most demanding roles in opera and come remarkably close to making them their own. Stewart and Thompson provide consistently strong singing, and DeMain reminds us why he's been such an important part of Madison's musical life for more than three decades.

And nearly two centuries after its premiere, Bellini's opera still has plenty to say about power, hypocrisy, loyalty, and what happens when our private lives catch up with our public ones.

Madison Opera's Norma will be performed again Nov. 1 at 2:30 p.m. in Overture Hall.

Dan Koehn, an Isthmus board member and contributor, holds a doctorate in classical voice and opera production from UW-Madison.