Vincenzo Bellini was the Italian composer, his operas form a link between the Italian tradition of the early 19th century and the late 19th century.
Background
He was born in 1801 in Catania, at the time part of the Kingdom of Sicily. He was the eldest of seven children in the family. His father, Rosario, and grandfather, Vincenzo, 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.
Education
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.
Career
His earliest works, written before he was 11 years old, have not been preserved.
As important as the more conservative tradition of Zingarelli in Naples was that of the contemporary operatic scene, then dominated by Gioacchino Rossini. Bellini's first opera, Adelson e Salvini, was performed at the Conservatory in 1825 and led to a commission from the impresario of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples for Bianca e Fernando.
Between 1825 and 1835 Bellini composed 10 operas for Naples, Milan, Genoa, Parma, Venice, and Paris; all but two had some success.
After the presentation of La Sonnambula in 1830, his European success was assured.
Bellini was fortunate in having the services of one of the better librettists in Italy, Felice Romani, who, after 1827, wrote the librettos for all of his operas except the last, I Puritani.
Bellini's mature operas were opere serie of varying types.
His three masterpieces are I Capuleti ed i Montecchi, La Sonnambula, and Norma.
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.
Even that bitter critic of Italian opera, Richard Wagner, was impressed by Norma.