Vincenzo Bellini: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Vincenzo belliniLucchini-Bellini.jpg|thumb|Vincenzo 225px|Bellini, byportrait Giuseppeby<br>Pietro TivoliLucchini]]

'''Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini''' ({{IPA-it|vinˈtʃɛntso salvaˈtoːre karˈmɛːlo franˈtʃesko belˈliːni|lang|It-Vincenzo Bellini.ogg}}; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was an Italian [[opera]] composer,<ref>The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica, [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vincenzo-Bellini "Vincenzo Bellini, Italian Composer"], ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 15 January 2018.</ref><ref name=L&M1>{{harvnb|Lippmann|McGuire|1998|p=389}}</ref> who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of [[Catania]]".<ref>Giovanni (no surname provided) to "Uncle Ignazio" ("identified as Ignazio Giuffrida-Moschetti, Catanese friend of Bellini" in Weinstock), 18 January 1832, quoted in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=109–110}}: the actual original wording was "the Swan of Sicily, or to phrase it better, of Catania".</ref> Many years later, in 1898, [[Giuseppe Verdi]] "praised the broad curves of Bellini's melody: 'there are extremely long melodies as no-one else had ever made before'."<ref>Verdi to Camille Belaigue, 2 May 1898, {{harvnb|Lippmann|McGuire|1998|p=392}}</ref>

A large amount of what is known about Bellini's life and his activitiesactivity comes from surviving letters—exceptletters that were written, except for a short period—whichperiod, were written overthroughout his lifetime to his friend [[Francesco Florimo]], whom he had met as a fellow student in Naples and with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship. Other sources of information come from correspondence saved by other friends and business acquaintances.

After his initial success in Naples, most of the rest of his short life was spent outside of both Sicily and Naples, those years being followed with his living and composing in Milan and Northern Italy, and—after a visit to London—then came his final masterpiece in Paris, ''[[I puritani]]''. Only nine months later, Bellini died in [[Puteaux]], France, at the age of 33.

Besides this melodious work, his output from these study years in Naples included two other settings of the Mass: a full Ordinary in E Minor and a second full Ordinary in G Minor, both of which probably date from 1823. There are two settings of the ''[[Salve Regina]]'' (one in A Major for choirsolo soprano and orchestraorgan, the other in F Minor for solo voicechoir and pianoorchestra), but these are less accomplished and may date from the first year of study after leaving Catania, 1820. His brief two-movement Oboe Concerto in E-flat from 1823 also survives and has been recorded by no less than the [[Berlin Philharmonic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/cat/4297502|title = Catalogue}}</ref>

Following the presentation of ''Adelson e Salvini'' and while he was in Milan, Bellini—requesting help from Florio—beganFlorimo—began to make some revisions, expandingshortening the opera to two acts in the hope that it might be given stagings by [[Domenico Barbaja]], the Intendant at the Teato di San Carlo since 1809. But little is known about exactly how much Bellini or Florimo contributed to the revisions, and Weinstock asserts that no performances were ever given after 1825, but in March 1829, we find Bellini writing to Florimo that "I have written you the changes that you should make in ''Adelson'' ".<ref>Bellini to Florimo, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=9, 27–28}}</ref>

[[File:Vincenzo Bellini (1801 -1835), by Anonymous.jpg|thumb|Bellini around 1830<br>(artist unknown)]]

Upon his arrival, he met Antonio Villa of La Scala and composer [[Saverio Mercadante]] whose new opera, ''Il Montanaro'' was in rehearsal. The latter introduced him to [[Francesco Pollini|Francesco]] and Marianna Pollini (an older couple, the husband a retired professor of piano, the wife a better-than-amateur musician) who immediately took the young man under their wing.

In addition, Bellini was introduced to the librettist [[Felice Romani]], who proposed the subject of the composer’scomposer's first project, ''[[Il pirata]]'', to which the young man willingly agreed especially when he realised that the story "provided several passionate and dramatic situations.. [and]..that such Romantic characters were then an innovation on the operatic stage."{{sfn|Galatopoulos|2002|p=62}} A strong professional relationship with Romani began from that time; he became Bellini’sBellini's primary creative partner, providing the libretti for six of Bellini’sBellini's operas which followed, in addition to about 100 libretti written for the major composers of the day, up to and including Verdi.<ref name=EIS>{{harvnb|Eisenbeiss|2013|p=157}}</ref> As has been observed, "no other Italian opera composer of the time showed such an attachment to a single librettist"<ref name=L&M389/> and although Romani was known to treat composers poorly, he evidently had great respect for Bellini, even acceding to his requests for revisions.<ref name=CICC>{{harvnb|Cicconetti|1859|pp=39–40}}</ref> For his part, Bellini admired "the sonorous and elegance of the poet's verses"<ref name=L&M389/>

The tentative contract deadline was extended until 20 January, but by that date Romani was in Venice, having already re-worked much of his earlier libretto which he had written for [[Nicola Vaccai]]'s 1825 opera, ''[[Giulietta e Romeo (Vaccai)|Giulietta e Romeo]]'', the source for which was the play of the same name by [[Luigi Scevola]] which had been written in 1818. The two men set to work, but with the winter weather in Venice becoming increasingly bad, Bellini fell ill; however, he had to continue to work under great pressure within a now-limited timetable. Eventually, revisions to Romani's libretto were agreed to, a new title was given to the work, and Bellini reviewed his score of ''Zaira'' to see how some of the music could be set to the new text, but composing the part of Romeo for Grisi. He also took Giulietta’sGiulietta's "''Oh quante volte''" and Nelly’sNelly's ''romanza'' from ''Adelson e Salvini''. The Giulietta was to be sung by [[Rosalbina Caradori-Allan]].

Later that year, Bellini prepared a version of ''Capuleti'' for La Scala which was given on 26 December, lowering Giulietta’sGiulietta's part for the mezzo-soprano [[Amalia Schütz Oldosi]].

[[File:Vincenzo Millet-Bellini by Roberto Focosi (before 1862) - Archivio Storico Ricordi ICON010621.jpg|thumb|Portrait of Bellini, beforeby<br>[[Jean-François 1862Millet]]]]

After its premiere, the opera was performed in London on 28 July 1831 at the [[Her Majesty's Theatre|King’sKing's Theatre]] and in New York on 13 November 1835 at the [[Park Theatre (Manhattan)|Park Theatre]].{{sfn|Kimbell|2001|p=50}}

When returning to Naples, the couple reached Rome on 30 April. There is speculation that, when there, Bellini composed a one-act opera, ''Il fu ed itil sarasarà'' (''The Past and the Present'') for a private performance (which was supposedly not given until 1832), but little further information—nor any of the music—has been forthcoming.{{sfn|Galatopoulos|2002|pp=254–255}} It appears that the couple (along with Giuditta's brother) left for Florence on or around 20 May traveling by private coach and that he attended what he described as "a quite unrecognisable" performance of ''La sonnumbula'' at the [[Teatro della Pergola]]. In the same letter, Bellini informed his publisher that: "I have arranged the contract with Lanari to compose the opera for Venice; there I'll have the divine Pasta, and on the same terms as the contract with La Scala for ''Norma''".<ref>Bellini to Ricordi, 24 May 1832, in {{harvnb|Galatopoulos|2002|p=256}}</ref> He continues by stating that, in addition, he will receive one hundred percentper cent of the rental rights of the scores.

Bellini's expectation that Romani's good will would be demonstrated promptly, turned out to be a mistake. The librettist had vastly over-committed himself: by the time that ''Cristina'' became ''Beatrice'', he had made commitments to Mercadante for an October opera; also to [[Carlo Coccia]] for an opera for La Scala on 14 February 1833; and further, to Luigi Majocchi for a Parma production on 26 February; to Mercadante for La Scala on 10 March; and to Donizetti for Florence on 17 March.{{sfn|Weinstock|1971|pp=125–126}} Nothing happened in November; Bellini announced that he would arrive in Venice in early December and after 10th, he became preoccupied with rehearsals for ''Norma''. However, the lack of any verses—for an opera which was supposed to be staged in the second half of February—caused him to have to take action against Romani. This involved a complaint lodged with the governor of Venice who then contacted the governor of Milan, who then had his police contact Romani. The librettist finally arrived in Venice on 1 January 1833. He holed up to write Bellini's libretto, but, at the same time, Donizetti was equally incensed at delays in receiving a libretto from Romani for an opera which was to be ''[[Parisina (Donizetti)|Parisina]]''.

After leaving Venice on 26 March, before the barrage of letter-writing began, it is known that Bellini spent some time with Mrs. Turina in Milan and, leaving many of his personal possessions with her, appears to have planned to return there by August since he did not give up his rooms in the contrade dei ReTre Monasteri.

But over a year later and with hindsight—after ''Puritani''{{'}}s great success which came way ahead of that of Donizetti's first work for Paris, ''[[Marin Faliero]]''—he outlines "the plot which was being hatched against me" and the strategies which he adopted to counter it. These strategies included expanding his contacts with Rossini to secure his growing friendship by continuing to see him on numerous occasions to seek his advice, noting "I have always adored Rossini, and I succeeded, and happily&nbsp;... [having] tamed Rossini's hatred, I no longer was frightened and finished that work of mine which won me so much honour".<ref>Bellini to Vincenzo Ferlito, [day, month unknown, 1835 after ''Puritani's success''], in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=163–164}}</ref> In a series of letters to Florimo throughoutthethroughout the year, he wrote of Rossini's increasing support, even love: "I hear that he speaks well of me" (4 September 1834); "...&nbsp;if I have Rossini's protection, I'll be situated very well" (4 November); "The most beautiful is that Rossini loves me very, very, very much" (18 November); and "...&nbsp;my very dear Rossini who now loves me as a son" (21 January 1835, following the dress rehearsal).<ref name=WEIN179>Letters from Bellini to Florimo, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=179–182}}</ref>

Continuing to work on the yet-unnamed ''I Puritani'', Bellini moved to Puteaux—"a half an hour by road" from central Paris, as the guest of an English friend, Samuel Levys, "where I hope to complete my opera more carefully".<ref name=WEIN162>Bellini to Florimo, 26 May 1834, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=162–163}}</ref> At some in the late Spring (specific date unknown) Bellini wrote to Pepoli to remind him that he should bring the first act of the opera with him the following day "so that we can finish discussing the first act, which&nbsp;... will be interesting, magnificent, and proper poetry for music in spite of you and all your absurd rules&nbsp;..."<ref name=WEIN170>Bellini to Pepoli, no date given, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=170–171}}</ref> At the same time, he lays out one basic rule for the librettist to follow:

In the immediate aftermath of ''I puritani'' {{'}}s success, Bellini was awarded two honours: the first by [[King Louis-Philippe]], naming him as ''chevalier'' of the [[Légion d'honneur]]; the second by King Ferdinand II in Naples, awarding him the cross of the "Order of Francesco I". Bellini then dedicated ''I puritiani'' "To the Queen of the French", Queen Marie-Emélie. But from a personal point of view, Bellini expressed his sadness at not having seen Florimo for so long, and there flowed a succession of invitations, then demands that Florimo come to Paris to visit him,{{sfn|Weinstock|1971|pp=187–188}} but from February to July, Florimo ignored the offers and finally, in a letter to him, Bellini stated: "I'll no longer ask for reasons, and I'll see you when I see you."<ref>Bellini to Florimo, 1 July 1835, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=189}}</ref> After that, he attempted to persuade his uncle, Vincenzo Ferlito, to visit, but without success.

On 27 September and 3 October, Rossini wrote to Santocanale in Palermo providing very detailed accounts of all that he had done immediately following Bellini's death as well as what had taken place on 2 October.<ref>Rossini to Santocanale, letters of 27 September and 3 October 1835, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=206–209}}</ref> Initially, Rossini regarded burial in [[Père Lachaise Cemetery]] as a short-term arrangement, not knowing where the final resting place would turn out to be. Despite attempts over many years to have Bellini's remains transferred to Catania, that did not take place until 1876, when the casket containing his remains was taken to the cathedral in Catania and reburied.<ref name=L&M390>{{harvnb|Lippmann|McGuire|1998|p=390}}</ref> His elaborate now empty tomb in Père Lachaise Cemetery remains and is neighbouring that of Rossini's whose bones were also eventually transferred back to Italy.

One of the closest people in Bellini's life was [[Francesco Florimo]], whom he met as a fellow student at the [[Naples Conservatory]]. Throughout Bellini's lifetime, the two shared a close correspondence.{{sfn|Libby|1998|p=242}} During the 1820 revolution, Bellini and Florimo joined a secret society, the Carboneria. Their closeness is evident in their letters. For example, on 12 January 1828 Bellini wrote that theirs were "hearts made only to be friends to the last breath."<ref name="auto"/> Bellini wrote in 1825 that "Your existence is necessary to mine".<ref name="auto"/> Further, on 11 February 1835, Bellini wrote: " my excellent, my honest, my angelic friend! The more we know the world, the more we shall see how rare is our friendship."<ref name="auto"/> Based on these letters, some have speculated about Bellini's [[homosexuality|sexuality]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2001/nov/02/arts.highereducation|title=Feature: Vincenzo Bellini|author=Tim Ashley|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=2 November 2001}}</ref>{{sfn|Galatopoulos|2002}} but Weinstock (1971) believesbelieved such interpretations are anachronistic.{{sfn|Weinstock|1971|p={{page needed|date=December 2021}}}} Rosselli (1996) expands on this point: contrary to how they may seem to modern readers, the expressions of close friendship in these letters were commonplace in Mediterranean societies and the world of early 1800s Italian opera rather than a reflection of sexual attachment.<ref name="auto"/> Once Bellini left Naples for Milan, the two men seldom saw one another; their last meeting was in Naples in late 1832, when Bellini was there with Giuditta Turina, before the pair departed for Milan via Florence. Florimo's published recollections—written fifty years after the events they recall—may be flawed. In later years, Bellini declared that Florimo "was the only friend in whom [I] could find comfort".{{sfn|Galatopoulos|2002|p=30}} Interpretation of Florimo's collection of letters is complicated however by evidence that he often altered or completely fabricated some of his correspondences with Bellini to create an idealized image of the composer.<ref name="auto1">Della Seta 2018{{incomplete short citation|date=December 2021}}</ref><ref name="auto"/> Florimo was also known to have destroyed some compromising letters involving Bellini's affairs with married women, including some in which Bellini wrote in detail about his affair with Giuditta Turina.<ref name="auto1"/><ref name="auto"/>{{sfn|Walker|1959}} After Bellini's death Florimo became his literary executor.<ref name=TIM/>

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. Bellini’sBellini's letters to his friend Florimo indicate his satisfaction with the nature of the liaison, particularly because it kept him from having to marry—and thus becoming distracted from his work.

In 1999, the Italian music publisher [[Casa Ricordi]], in collaboration with the [[Teatro Massimo Bellini]] in [[Catania]], embarked on a project to publish critical editions of the complete works of Bellini.<ref>{{cite webnews|url=http://www.ricordi.it/catalogue/?sort=title+asc&fq=active%3A%22true%22&fq=c_detail%3A%22EDIZIONE+CRITICA+O+RIVEDUTA%22&fq=origin%3A%22django%22&fq=content_type%3Aopera-opera+OR+content_type%3Aopera-publication&fq=author%3A%22Vincenzo+Bellini%22&fq=language%3A%22en%22&facet.mincount=1&facet.sort=lex+desc&facet.field=channel&facet.field=c_genre&facet.field=c_type&facet.field=c_organic&facet.field=author&facet.field=year&facet=true&facet.limit=100&rows=15|title=Ricordi}}</ref>

** ("Catania" No. 1) Mass in D major (1818)

** ("Catania" No. 2) Mass in G major (1818)

* {{cite journal|author1-link=Mary Ann Smart|last=Smart|first=Mary Ann|title=Parlor Games: Italian Music and Italian Politics in the Parisian Salon|journal=[[19th-Century Music]]|volume=34|number=1|date=Summer 2010|publisher=University of California|pages=39–60|doi=10.1525/ncm.2010.34.1.039|jstor=10.1525/ncm.2010.34.1.039}} {{subscription required}}

* {{cite journal|last=Walker|first=Frank|title=Giuditta Turina and Bellini|journal=[[Music & Letters]]|volume=40|number=1|date=January 1959|pages=19–34|doi=10.1093/ml/XL.1.19|jstor=730397}} {{subscription required}}

* [[William Ashbrook|Ashbrook, William]], "Donizetti and Romani", ''American Association of Teachers of Italian'', Vol. 64, No. 4, Winter, 1987, pp.&nbsp;606–631. {{jstorJSTOR|479240}} (by subscription)

* Smart, Mary Ann (Spring 2000), "In Praise of Convention: Formula and Experiment in Bellini's Self-Borrowings", ''[[Journal of the American Musicological Society]]'', vol. 53, no. 1. pp.&nbsp;25–68 {{JSTOR|831869}} {{subscription required}}

[[Category:ChevaliersComposers offrom the Légion d'honneurSicily]]