BELLINI, VINCENZO (b. Catania, Sicily, November 3, 1801; d. Puteaux, France, September 23, 1835)
Bellini’s determination that his music would be sung exactly as he intended made stars of the tenor and baritone in his third (but first major) opera Il Pirata (The Pirate), and in so doing set standards for Italian singing that last to this day. It also ravished audiences when it premièred at La Scala, Milan in 1827.
He was obsessed with his music, making melody and dramatic effect paramount in his compositions. Such work had a profound influence upon the styles of later opera composers, and also on instrumental writers such as Chopin. As well as composing, he also trained his singers in the demanding vocal style they would need to do justice to his music.
The result was magical. Audiences gave his work rapturous response. His second opera, Bianca e Fernando, written while he was still a student at the Royal Conservatory of Milan, caused a minor musical scandal. When the work was played before the Queen of Italy in May of 1826, the convention was that it was rude to applaud when royalty was in the house. The audience was consistently and repeatedly rude throughout the performance. The Queen didnΓÇÖt seem to mind.
Along with Rossini and Donizetti, Bellini is considered one of the three cornerstones of the modern Italian repertoire. Three mature works are regularly performed - I Capuleti e I Montecchi (The Capulets and Montagues, based on ShakespeareΓÇÖs Romeo and Juliet) (1830), La sonnambula (The sleep walker) (1831), and Norma (also 1831). His vocal writing represents the romantic epitome of bel canto.
He was bombarded with offers while he was composing what turned out to be his final opera I Puritani (The Puritans) (1835) at the home of a friend in Puteaux. There was talk of new projects, but overwork and tiredness led to a dreadful lassitude, that lead many to suspect that his death was caused by poison. A story that might have made a great Bellini opera.
