Background
Bellini was born on 3 November 1801 in Catania, Italy. His father Rosario was an organist. Father and grandfather held positions with the Biscari family and in local churches.
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(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
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(opera libretto w/side-by-side original Italian script & E...)
opera libretto w/side-by-side original Italian script & English translation, part of Metropolitan Opera libretto series
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Bellini was born on 3 November 1801 in Catania, Italy. His father Rosario was an organist. Father and grandfather held positions with the Biscari family and in local churches.
Bellini displayed musical talent very early, learning to play piano at 3 and studying composition with his father at 6. After studying with his grandfather, Bellini attended the Royal College of St. Sebastian in Naples, which was directed by Nicola Zingarelli, who composed both opera and church music. His father encouraged Vincenzo to be a musician, and a nobleman who was impressed by his talents paid for his musical education.
Vincenzo's earliest works, written before he was 11 years old, have not been preserved. He completed his studies in composition at the Conservatory of San Sebastiano in Naples and there in 1825 composed his first opera, Adelson e Salvini. Its success brought him a commission from the impresario of the San Carlo Theater to compose Bianca e Fernando in 1826.
For example, La Straniera (The Foreign Woman) was well received at La Scala in 1829; his Zaira, however, was a failure at the Ducal Theater in Parma that same year; but in 1830 I Capuleti ed i Montecchi (Romeo and Juliet) was successful at the Fenice Theater in Venice. Bellini next began composing Ernani, but stopped working because of political censorship and completed La Sonnambula (The Sleepwalker) instead, which found favor at the Carcano Theater in Milan on Mar. 6, 1831.
Presented that same year on December 26 at La Scala, Norma opened to scant applause but turned out to be a great success.
On his return to Milan after a triumphal visit to Messina, Catania, and Naples, he wrote Beatrice di Tenda, which was a failure at the Fenice in 1833.
Bellini then visited London to conduct Norma and Sonnambula and went to Paris, where in 1834 he wrote I Puritani (The Puritans), which was staged successfully at the ThéâtreTheatre Italien on Jan. 25, 1835.
In the history of opera, the art of Vincenzo Bellini has attained a prominent position. Although Bellini made no significant changes in the outward structure of Italian opera, he did make certain contributions. His melodic style, often compared to that of Frédéric Chopin in its careful treatment of ornamentation, was written with the Italian bel canto style of singing in mind. In his recitatives Bellini gave careful consideration to text accents and moments of intense emotional expression. His handling of the orchestra in both recitative and aria always supports the dramatic intention. His influence was felt not only by his contempories but also by Giuseppe Verdi.
His musical composition with its originality, intense lyricism, expressiveness, and its dramatic fullness keep his operas in the repertoire of leading companies despite occasional periods of neglect. Norma. An opera in two acts with libretto by Felice Romani from a French drama. Her duty calls her to oppose the Roman oppressors, but she cannot because of her love for Pollione. Later she confesses her desecration of her vows and is condemned to death.
The best-known music of this opera includes Norma's duets with Adalgisa, "Mira, O Norma" ("Behold, O Norma"), and with Pollione, "In mia man infin tu sei" ("At last thou art in my power").
Even that bitter critic of Italian opera, Richard Wagner, was impressed by Norma.
Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was one of the most important composers of Italian opera in his time. Bellini's influence is reflected not only in later operatic compositions, including the early works of Richard Wagner, but also in the instrumental music of Chopin. His best known grand opera is Norma.
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
(opera libretto w/side-by-side original Italian script & E...)
(126pages. in8. Broché.)
Quotes from others about the person
"There are extremely long melodies as no-one else had ever made before''.
Bellini never married, which has led to speculation as to his sexuality.
The one significant relationship which Bellini had after 1828 was the five-year relationship with Giuditta Turina, a young married woman with whom he began a passionate affair when both were in Genoa in April 1828 for the production of Bianca e Fernando. Their relationship lasted until Bellini went to Paris.
