Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835); ITA

Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835) was born in Catania, Sicily, into a musical family and showed exceptional talent from childhood. He studied at the Real Collegio di Musica in Naples under Nicola Zingarelli, and his student opera Adelson e Salvini brought him early attention. A commission for the Teatro di San Carlo led to Bianca e Gernando, after which Bellini moved rapidly into the foremost Italian opera houses. His breakthrough came at La Scala with Il pirata in 1827, beginning an important collaboration with the librettist Felice Romani. Successes in Milan, Venice, and elsewhere established him as one of the leading composers of Italian opera alongside Rossini and Donizetti. Bellini later settled in Paris, where he enjoyed the admiration of musicians including Rossini and Chopin. He died suddenly at Puteaux, near Paris, in 1835, at only thirty-three.

Bellini’s music is celebrated above all for its long, supple vocal lines, expressive simplicity, and extraordinary gift for melody—the qualities that made him one of the defining masters of bel canto. His mature operas combine lyrical beauty with an increasingly concentrated sense of drama. I Capuleti e i Montecchi offers an intensely personal treatment of the Romeo and Juliet story, while La sonnambula displays Bellini’s graceful lyricism at its most refined. His masterpiece Norma unites vocal virtuosity, tragic power, and melodic breadth, with the aria “Casta diva” becoming one of opera’s most famous melodies. Beatrice di Tenda followed in 1833, and his final opera, I puritani, written for Paris in 1835, expanded his style through richer ensembles and orchestral writing. Bellini’s distinctive melodic language influenced composers well beyond Italy, and his finest operas remain central to the repertory.

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Bellini, Vincenzo (b Catania, Sicily, 1801; d Puteaux, nr. Paris, 1835). It. composer. Educated San Sebastiano Cons., Naples, where he studied under Zingarelli. Perf. of his first opera, Adelson e Salvini, at cons. in 1825 led to commission for opera for San Carlo, Naples; and this in its turn led to a commission from La Scala which resulted in Il pirata, a vehicle for the expressive lyrical style of the ten. Rubini. This opera was then prod. in Paris and initiated Bellini's fame outside It. Another success was his setting of Vaccai's version of the Romeo and Juliet story, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, prod. Venice 1830 with Pasta in the travesti role of Romeo. Recent revivals have shown this to be one of Bellini's masterpieces. However, its popularity was eclipsed by La sonnambula (Milan 1831), in which Malibran appeared throughout Europe. Less than a year later came Norma; its sop. title-role was first sung by Pasta and succeeding exponents have included Grisi, Tietjens, Lilli Lehmann, Ponselle, Callas, and Sutherland. His last opera, I Puritani, was written for Paris (on the advice of Rossini) where its first cast in 1835 was led by Grisi, Rubini, Tamburini, and Lablache. Seven of his operas have libretti by Felice Romani.

Bellini's vocal style requires superb legato allied to great florid agility. His long elegant melodies, of which Casta diva from Norma is a supreme example, were admired by, and influenced, Berlioz. Wagner, too, was attracted by Bellini's operas and noted the close alliance between mus. and lib. For a period, Bellini was out of fashion, being regarded as merely a composer of display pieces, but a new generation of great singers has restored them to favour, revealing their dramatic force and melodic beauty.

OPERAS: Adelson e Salvini (Naples 1825); Bianca e Gernando (Naples 1826; rev. as Bianca e Fernando, Genoa 1828); Il pirata (Milan 1827); La straniera (Milan 1829); Zaira (Parma 1829); I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Venice 1830); La sonnambula (Milan 1831); Norma (Milan 1831); Beatrice di Tenda (Venice 1833); I Puritani (Paris 1835).Also comp. songs and instr. works, incl. an ob. conc.

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