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{{short description|Italian opera composer (1801–1835)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2021}}
[[File:Lucchini-Bellini.jpg|thumb|225px|
'''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 activity comes from surviving letters
Bellini was the quintessential composer of the Italian ''[[bel canto]]'' era of the early 19th century, and his work has been summed up by the London critic Tim Ashley as:
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In considering which of his operas can be seen to be his greatest successes over the almost two hundred years since his death, ''[[Il pirata]]'' laid much of the groundwork in 1827, achieving very early recognition in comparison to [[Gaetano Donizetti|Donizetti]]'s having written thirty operas before his major 1830 triumph with ''[[Anna Bolena]]''. Both ''[[I Capuleti e i Montecchi]]'' at [[La Fenice]] in 1830 and ''[[La sonnambula]]'' in Milan in 1831 reached new triumphal heights, although initially ''[[Norma (opera)|Norma]]'', given at [[La Scala]] in 1831 did not fare as well until later performances elsewhere. "The genuine triumph"{{sfn|Lippmann|McGuire|1998|pp=389–390}} of ''[[I puritani]]'' in January 1835 in Paris capped a significant career. Certainly, ''Il pirata'', ''Capuleti'', ''La sonnambula'', ''Norma'', and ''I puritani'' are regularly performed today.<ref>[http://operabase.com/oplist.cgi?id=none&lang=en&is=&by=Bellini&loc=&stype=abs&sd=1&sm=1&sy=2012&etype=abs&ed=&em=&ey= List of "671 performances of 146 productions in 95 cities"] on [[Operabase]], from 1 January 2012 into 2015 on operabase.com. Retrieved 24 June 2014</ref>
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.
==Catania: early life==
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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
While in Milan, "[Bellini] quickly gained an entrée into higher social circles",<ref name=L&M389>{{harvnb|Lippmann|McGuire|1998|p=389}}</ref> although he also stayed for months at a time with friends, the Cantù and the Turina families. It was with Giuditta Turina that he began an affair in 1828 during the premiere performances of ''Bianca e Fernando'' in Genoa.
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With rehearsals for ''Pirata'' underway in late December, Bellini was given notice by the La Fenice impresario, Alessandro Lanari, that it was doubtful whether Pacini would be present in time to stage an opera and that a contract was to be prepared with the proviso that it would only become effective on 14 January. Accepting the offer 5 January, Bellini stated that he would set Romani's libretto for ''Giulietta Capellio'', that he required 45 days between receipt of the libretto and the first performance, and that he would accept 325 napoleoni d'oro (about 8,000 lire).<ref>Bellini to Lanari, 5 January 1830, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=83}}: Weinstock notes that Romani had used "Capellio" as Juliet's last name in the libretto.</ref>
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
At the premiere of ''[[I Capuleti e i Montecchi]]'' on 11 March 1830 success for Bellini returned. Weinstock describes the premiere as "an unclouded and immediate success"<ref name=WEIN85/> but it was only able to be performed eight times before the La Fenice season closed on 21 March.<ref name=WEIN85>{{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=85}}</ref> A local newspaper, ''I Teatri'', reported that "all things considered, this opera by Bellini has aroused as much enthusiasm in Venice as ''La straniera'' aroused in Milan from the first evening on".<ref>{{harvnb|Cambi|1943}} in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=85}}</ref>
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Before leaving Venice, Bellini was offered a contract to produce another new opera for La Fenice for the 1830–31 Carnival season, and—upon his return to Milan after a reunion with Turina—he also found an offer from Genoa for a new opera but proposed for the same time period, an offer he was forced to reject.
Later that year, Bellini prepared a version of ''Capuleti'' for La Scala which was given on 26 December, lowering
===''La sonnambula'': Milan, March 1831===
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<blockquote>Pasta and Rubini sang with the most evident enthusiasm to support their favourite conductor [''sic'']; the second act the singers themselves wept and carried the audience along with them.<ref>Glinka, ''Memoires'', in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=97}}</ref></blockquote>
After its premiere, the opera was performed in London on 28 July 1831 at the [[Her Majesty's Theatre|
During Bellini's lifetime another ''sfogato'', [[Maria Malibran]], was to become a notable exponent of the role.
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==London: April to August 1833==
[[File:Italian Opera House, Haymarket by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd 1827-28.JPG|thumb|King's Theatre, London (aka Italian Opera House) by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd, 1827–28]]
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
With the Pasta and other members of the Italian troupe contracted for London by the impresario of the [[King's Theatre, London|King's Theatre]], Pierre-François Laporte, Bellini and his troupe set off. On the journey it is known that he stopped in Paris and discussed with Dr. [[Louis Véron]], the director of the [[Paris Opéra]], the possibility of writing a French opera, but his intention was to focus on that subject on his return in the coming July.
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It was clear from Bellini's reaction to Heine's remarks that he did not like Heine. Attempting to reconcile the two men, Madame Joubert, who had attended the summer event, invited both to dinner, along with her friend the Princess Belgiojoso. Bellini failed to appear, instead he sent a note stating that he was too ill. Weinstock reports that the princess sent Doctor Luigi Montallegri to Puteaux. Over a few days, he reported to Carlo Severini of the Théatre-Italien with four notes, the first (on 20 September) stated "no appreciable improvement". On the following day, Montallegri reported a slight improvement, and on 22nd, the doctor stated that he "hopes to declare him out of danger tomorrow". However, the fourth note—on 22 September—is far more pessimistic; it reported that it was the thirteenth day of the illness and that Bellini had "passed a very restless night". And then, during the daytime of the 23rd, Montallegri indicated that there had been what Weinstock describes as "a terrifying convulsion" and that death was close. It appears that Bellini died at around 5 pm on 23 September 1835.<ref>Luigi Montallegri's reports to Severini; reports from other sources, including diaries written by Baron Augusto Aymé d'Aquino of the Two Sicilies' Embassy in Paris, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=202–204}}</ref>
[[File:Catania BW 2012-10-06 11-55-16.jpg|thumb|Bellini's tomb in the [[Catania Cathedral]] in Sicily|left]]
Immediately taking charge of arrangements, Rossini began to plan Bellini's funeral and entombment, as well as caring for his estate. He ordered that a post-mortem be performed, following an order which came directly from the King. The distinguished Court-appointed Doctor Dalmas performed the autopsy and reported his findings on the cause of death:
<blockquote>It is evident that Bellini succumbed to an acute inflammation of the colon, compounded by an abscess in the liver. The inflammation of the intestine had produced violent symptoms of dysentery during life.<ref>Dr. Dalmas' post-mortem report, supported by quotations from a report made in 1969 by Doctor Victor de Sabata, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=204–205}}</ref></blockquote>
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Rossini then created a committee of Parisian musicians in order to find support for a subscription to build a monument to the dead composer, as well as supporting a funeral mass to be celebrated on 2 October in the chapel of the Hôtel des Invalides.
[[File:Annoncredamirarti.JPG|thumb|upright=1.3|Musical notation, inscribed on Bellini's tomb, from Amina's last aria in ''La sonnambula'': "Ah! non-credea mirarti / Sì presto estinto, o fiore", translated as: "I did not believe you would fade so soon, oh flower"]]
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.
Of the many tributes which poured forth following Bellini's death, one stands out. It was written by Felice Romani and published in Turin on 1 October 1835. In it, he stated:
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===Giuditta Turina===
[[File:Giuditta Turina-by Luigi Bianchi-c1828.jpg|thumb|Giuditta Turina]]
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.
However, in May 1833 while he was in London, a significant change in Bellini's relationship with Giuditta followed from the discovery by her husband of a compromising letter from Bellini.{{sfn|Weinstock|1971|pp=153–154}} The result was that he decided to seek a legal separation and have her removed from his house. For Bellini, it meant the possibility of taking on responsibility for her, and he had no interest in doing that, having cooled in his feelings for her.<ref>Giuditta Turina to Florimo, 4 August 1834, referencing a September 1833 letter to her from Bellini where he stated that his career is "avant tout".</ref> When he wrote to Florimo from Paris the following year, he clearly stated that "I constantly am being threatened from Milan with Giuditta's coming to Paris", at which point he says he'll leave that city if that were to happen. Then he continues: "I no longer want to be put in the position of renewing a relationship that made me suffer great troubles".<ref>Bellini to Florimo, 11 March 1834, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=154}}</ref> When Turina announced that she was leaving her husband, Bellini left her, saying "with so many commitments, such a relationship would be fatal to me," expressing his fear of romantic attachments getting in the way of his musical career.<ref name="auto"/> Ultimately, he resisted any long-term emotional commitment, and never married.
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* an Organ Sonata in G major
* 40 sacred works, including:
** ("Catania" No. 1) Mass in D major (1818)
** ("Catania" No. 2) Mass in G major (1818)
** ''Messa di Gloria'' in A minor for soloists, choir and orchestra (1821)
** Mass in E minor (Naples, c. 1823)
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[[Category:Burials at Catania Cathedral]]
[[Category:Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery]]
[[Category:
[[Category:Italian classical composers]]▼
[[Category:Italian male classical composers]]
[[Category:Italian opera composers]]
[[Category:Italian Romantic composers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Catania]]▼
[[Category:Kingdom of Sicily people]]
[[Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour]]
▲[[Category:Musicians from Catania]]
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