Vincenzo Bellini
Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (November 3, 1801 – September … Read Full Bio ↴Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (November 3, 1801 – September 23, 1835) was an Italian opera composer. Known for his flowing melodic line, Bellini was the quintessential composer of Bel canto opera.
Born in Catania, Sicily, Italy, Bellini was a child prodigy from a highly musical family and legend has it he could sing an air of Valentino Fioravanti at eighteen months, began studying music theory at two, the piano at three, and by the age of five could play well. His first composition dates from his sixth year. Regardless of the veracity of these claims, it is certain that Bellini grew up in a musical household and that a career as a musician was never in doubt.
Having learned from his grandfather, Bellini left provincial Catania in June 1819 to study at the conservatory in Naples, with a stipend from the municipal government of Catania. By 1822 he was in the class of the director Nicolò Zingarelli, studying the masters of the Neapolitan school and the orchestral works of Haydn and Mozart. It was the custom at the Conservatory to introduce a promising student to the public with a dramatic work: the result was Bellini's first opera Adelson e Salvini an opera semiseria that was presented at the Conservatory's theater. Bianca e Gernando met with some success at the Teatro San Carlo, leading to an offer from the impresario Barbaia for an opera at La Scala. Il pirata was a resounding immediate success and began Bellini's faithful and fruitful collaboration with the librettist and poet Felice Romani, and cemented his friendship with his favored tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini, who had sung in Bianca e Gernando.
Bellini spent the next years, 1827–33 in Milan, where all doors were open to him. Supported solely by his opera commissions, for La straniera (1828) was even more successful than Il pirata, sparking controversy in the press for its new style and its restless harmonic shifts into remote keys, he showed the taste for social life and the dandyism that Heinrich Heine emphasized in his literary portrait of Bellini (Florentinische Nächte, 1837). Opening a new theater in Parma, his Zaira (1829) was a failure at the Teatro Ducale, but Venice welcomed I Capuleti e i Montecchi, which was based on the same Italian sources as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
The next five years were triumphant, cut short by Bellini's premature death.
Bellini died in Puteaux, near Paris of acute inflammation of the intestine, and was buried in the cemetery of Père Lachaise, Paris; his remains were removed to the cathedral of Catania in 1876. The Museo Belliniano, Catania, preserves memorabilia and scores.
Bellini is best known for his opera Norma, the title role of which is considered one of the most difficult roles in the soprano repertoire. During the 20th century, only a small number of singers were able to sing it with success: Rosa Ponselle in the early 1920s, and later Joan Sutherland in the 1950s and 1960s. Maria Callas was the famous Norma of the postwar period; she performed it many times and recorded it in the studio twice.
Born in Catania, Sicily, Italy, Bellini was a child prodigy from a highly musical family and legend has it he could sing an air of Valentino Fioravanti at eighteen months, began studying music theory at two, the piano at three, and by the age of five could play well. His first composition dates from his sixth year. Regardless of the veracity of these claims, it is certain that Bellini grew up in a musical household and that a career as a musician was never in doubt.
Having learned from his grandfather, Bellini left provincial Catania in June 1819 to study at the conservatory in Naples, with a stipend from the municipal government of Catania. By 1822 he was in the class of the director Nicolò Zingarelli, studying the masters of the Neapolitan school and the orchestral works of Haydn and Mozart. It was the custom at the Conservatory to introduce a promising student to the public with a dramatic work: the result was Bellini's first opera Adelson e Salvini an opera semiseria that was presented at the Conservatory's theater. Bianca e Gernando met with some success at the Teatro San Carlo, leading to an offer from the impresario Barbaia for an opera at La Scala. Il pirata was a resounding immediate success and began Bellini's faithful and fruitful collaboration with the librettist and poet Felice Romani, and cemented his friendship with his favored tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini, who had sung in Bianca e Gernando.
Bellini spent the next years, 1827–33 in Milan, where all doors were open to him. Supported solely by his opera commissions, for La straniera (1828) was even more successful than Il pirata, sparking controversy in the press for its new style and its restless harmonic shifts into remote keys, he showed the taste for social life and the dandyism that Heinrich Heine emphasized in his literary portrait of Bellini (Florentinische Nächte, 1837). Opening a new theater in Parma, his Zaira (1829) was a failure at the Teatro Ducale, but Venice welcomed I Capuleti e i Montecchi, which was based on the same Italian sources as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
The next five years were triumphant, cut short by Bellini's premature death.
Bellini died in Puteaux, near Paris of acute inflammation of the intestine, and was buried in the cemetery of Père Lachaise, Paris; his remains were removed to the cathedral of Catania in 1876. The Museo Belliniano, Catania, preserves memorabilia and scores.
Bellini is best known for his opera Norma, the title role of which is considered one of the most difficult roles in the soprano repertoire. During the 20th century, only a small number of singers were able to sing it with success: Rosa Ponselle in the early 1920s, and later Joan Sutherland in the 1950s and 1960s. Maria Callas was the famous Norma of the postwar period; she performed it many times and recorded it in the studio twice.
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04Norma - Critical Edition by Maurizio Biondi and Riccardo Minasi / Act 1 Scene 1: "Casta Diva"Vincenzo BelliniVincenzo Bellini
09Act I Scene 2: Recitativo e Duetto, Coro, Quintetto - Che veggio? (Rodolfo)Vincenzo BelliniVincenzo Bellini
14Norma / Act 1 Scene 1: "Casta Diva" (Critical Ed. Maurizio Biondi and Riccardo Minasi)Vincenzo BelliniVincenzo Bellini
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Vincenzo Bellini Lyrics
Ah! bello a me ritorna Del fido amor primiero, E contro il mondo intiero Difesa a…
Casta Diva Casta Diva Casta Diva che inargenti Queste sacre Queste sacr…
Casta Diva (Norma) Casta Diva, che inargenti queste sacre antiche piante, a noi…
Fenesta che lucive Fenesta che lucive e mo' nun luce Sign'è ca nenna mia…
I Capuleti e i Montecchi Act I: Eccomi... Oh! quante volte Here I am in a cheerful attire... Here I am adorned...…
I Puritani: O rendetemi la speme - Qui la voce sua soave O rendetemi la speme, O lasciate, lasciatemi morir! Qui la v…
I Puritani: Vien,diletto e'in ciel la luna ELVIRA Vien, diletto, è in ciel la luna! Tutto tace intorno.…
La Norma: Casta diva Casta Diva Casta Diva che inargenti Queste sacre Queste sacr…
La Sonnambula Ah! non giunge uman pensiero Al contento ond'io son piena: A…
La Sonnambula - Ah! perchè non posso Odiarti ELVINO Ah, perché non posso odiarti, Infedel, com'io vorrei?…
La sonnambula Act II: Ah! Non credea mirarti Ah! non credea mirarti Sì presto estinto, o fiore, Passasti …
La sonnambula Ah! Non giunge Ah! non giunge uman pensiero Al contento ond'io son piena: A…
La Sonnambula: "Ah! Non credea mirarti" Ah! non credea mirarti Sì presto estinto, o fiore, Passasti …
La sonnambula: Act II: Ah non credea mirarti Ah! non credea mirarti Sì presto estinto, o fiore; Passasti …
La Sonnambula: Ah non credea mirarti Ah! non credea mirarti Sì presto estinto, o fiore, Passasti …
Ma rendi pur contento Ma rendi pur contento della mia bella il core, e…
Malinconia Ninfa gentile Malinconia, Ninfa gentile, La vita mia consacro a te; I tuoi…
Me protegge, me difende Un poter maggior di loro È il pensier di lei che…
Meco all'altar di Venere Era Adalgisa in Roma, Cinta di bende candide, Sparsa di fior…
Norma Casta Diva Casta Diva che inargenti Queste sacre Queste sacr…
Norma viene Le cigne, la chioma la verbena ai misteri sacrata in sua man…
Norma: Casta Diva Casta Diva che inargenti Queste sacre Queste sacr…
Norma: Casta diva ... Ah! Bello a me ritorna Casta Diva che inargenti Queste sacre antiche piante, A noi …
Norma: Norma Viene Casta Diva Casta Diva che inargenti Queste sacre Queste sacr…
Oh! Quante volte Here I am in a cheerful attire... Here I am adorned...…
Squilla Il Bronzo Del Dio! Norma! Che fu? Percosso lo scudo d'Irminsul, Quali alla terr…
Svanir le voci E dell'or renda selva libero e il varco. In quella selva è…
Va crudele al dio spietato Va, crudele, Al Dio spietato Offri in dono il sangue mio. Tu…
Vaga luna che inargenti Vaga luna, che inargenti queste rive e questi fiori ed inspi…