La sonnambula, a light, romantic opera in which romantic difficulties arise from the misinterpretation of the heroine's sleepwalking activities, was one of Bellini's finer triumphs. Exquisite vocal lines, asymmetrical but beautiful in their spontaneity and originality, are the hallmarks of this opera. The libretto was by Felice Romani. The basis for his story line was a ballet by Eugène Scribe, which in turn was based on a comédie-vaudeville of two acts that had been staged in Paris in 1819. Somnambulism was a common theme in nineteenth century opera, but none of the other stories is quite the same as that of Bellini's opera. The premiere was at the Teatro Carcano of Milan, on March 6, 1831. It was very well received by critics and public alike, and the work helped to cement Bellini's reputation as one of the compositional stars of nineteenth century bel canto opera.

Originally Romani and Bellini had contracted with the Carcano theater to produce an opera based on Victor Hugo's Hernani, which at that time had caused a furor in revolutionary France, but the Hugo story did not get past the conservative Milanese censors. The Carcano was attempting to establish itself as competition to the great La Scala theater of Milan, and Bellini and Romani were hired in hopes that they could produce a work to rival the opulent productions of La Scala. The city was at that time controlled by Austria, and the government in power was in no mood to encourage rebellion or revolution. So Bellini and Romani chose a less controversial subject.

Bellini began work on La sonnambula in January 1831. Still recovering from a serious illness, the convalescing Bellini stayed at the home of the Contessa Giuseppina Appiani, a cultured woman known for the sophistication of her salon. Also a friend of Donizetti and Verdi, she was not unacquainted with the world of opera and gave Bellini a creative work environment. The prima donna Giuditta Pasta had already been hired to sing the title role in the Ernani project, and it was a simple matter to convince her to take the lead role of La sonnambula. Bellini had a singer of virtuosic technical capabilities, and a musician of incomparable talent, to help him create the romantic role of Amina. He particularly suited the music to Pasta's strengths, and her performance conquered the Milanese public completely.

The original work on which La sonnambula was based was a ballet, and its pastoral and sentimental qualities were accentuated in the libretto. It was left up to Bellini to bring out these qualities and exploit them. The opening music is joyful, celebrating, and rustic. The beginning scenes establish the ambiance of the story, and the dramatic development proceeds apace thanks to Bellini's incredible vocal writing. One of the highlights of the drama comes in the first act, as the villagers recount the story of a phantom (who is actually Amina) said to be haunting their village. She walks at night, dressed in a long white gown, and even the animals turn away and howl. The chorus is set syllabically to give it an ominous feel, and as the ghost passes by, there is a sudden brightening of the tonality from E flat to D major. Another highlight is Amina's solo "Ah! Non giunge!," which has survived as one of the all-time favorites of Italian opera. The bright, tender, gentleness of the aria aptly portrays Amina's personality, and the recitatives throughout are handled with the same dramatic and musical sympathy; in many ways, they pave the way for the fusion of recitative and aria that came to opera later in the nineteenth century. Amina's famous sleepwalking scene, ending with its brilliant and demanding cabaletta, has made the tole a favorite with coloratura sopranos including such historic divas as Adelina Patti, Luisa Tetrazzini, and Jenny Lind in the nineteenth century to to Galli-Curci, dal Monte, Callas, and Sutherland in the twentieth.

© All Music Guide

Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.