La gazza ladra complete the composition of the opera. As such, "The Thieving Magpie" is best known for the overture, which is musically notable for its use of snare drums. The unique inspiration in the melodies is extreme, famously used to bizarre and dramatic effect in Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange". It was referenced by Haruki Murakami in his work "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.". This memorable section in Rossini's overture evokes the image of the opera's main subject: a devilishly clever, thieving magpie. The first performance of "The Thieving Magpie" was on 31 May 1817, at La Scala, Milan. In 1818, Rossini revised
Norma (opera) engaged by La Scala for her debut during the following season. Bellini and Romani then began to consider the subject of the coming autumn's opera. By the summer, they had decided to base it on Alexandre Soumet's play which was being performed in Paris at around that time and which Pasta would have seen. For the forthcoming autumn/winter season, La Scala had engaged Giulia Grisi (the sister of Giuditta Grisi) and the well-known tenor Domenico Donzelli, who had made a name for himself with Rossini roles, especially that of Otello. They would fill the roles of Adalgisa and Pollione. Donzelli