Vincenzo Bellini was born into an exceedingly musical family
on November 3rd, 1801 in Catania, Sicily. A child prodigy, it said
that he began studying music theory at the age of two, piano at three, and was
composing his first pieces by age six. Whether or not these stories are true,
Bellini was nevertheless a talented child with a successful career in music
almost certain. Indeed, he became one of the archetypes of the bel canto era of Italian opera and
developed a reputation for meticulous craftsmanship. His flowing melodies
earned him the nickname, "the Swan of Catania."
With the help of a stipend from the municipal government of
Catania, Bellini went to study at the Naples Conservatory in 1819 where he
studied the masters of the Neapolitan school and the orchestral works of Haydn
and Mozart. His first opera, Adelson e Salvini, was premiered at the
Conservatory in February 1825. The work was popular among the Conservatory's
students and was afterwards performed every Sunday for a year. It also drew the
attention of the impresario Domenico Barbaja, who commissioned Bellini for another
opera. The premiere of Bianca e Gernando
at the Teatro San Carlo was only somewhat successful and is rarely heard in
modern times. Bellini's next opera, Il
pirata, however, cemented his fame as an opera composer. Premiered at La
Scala on October 27th, 1827, the opera was an international success
and marked the beginning of a productive collaboration between Bellini and the
librettist Felice Romani.
With his growing reputation and experience, Bellini
concentrated on craftsmanship, ensuring the highest quality of his work, rather
than composing as many operas as possible. For this reason, he was able to
demand higher prices for his works. Settling in Milan in 1827, the following
years were both productive and successful. La
straniera, despite causing a stir among critics for its harmonic style, was
an even grander success than Il pirata.
Other successes followed including, I
Capuleti e I Montecchi which is based on the same source as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, La sonnambula, Norma and I
puritani. The only outright failure during these years was Zaira, which was written in haste and
without Bellini's usual careful hand.
The summer of 1883 Bellini spent in London directing
performances of his operas. Following his time in the British capital, he
traveled to Paris where he composed and premiered I puritani. In spite of the enthusiastic
response the opera received from the French public, Bellini's life was
tragically cut short. Succumbing to an acute inflammation of the intestine, he
died in Peteaux, outside of Paris, on September 22nd, 1835. He was
buried in Paris but in 1876 his remains were moved to the cathedral in his
hometown of Catalina.
Vincenzo Bellini
Biography
Vincenzo Bellini was born into an exceedingly musical family on November 3rd, 1801 in Catania, Sicily. A child prodigy, it said that he began studying music theory at the age of two, piano at three, and was composing his first pieces by age six. Whether or not these stories are true, Bellini was nevertheless a talented child with a successful career in music almost certain. Indeed, he became one of the archetypes of the bel canto era of Italian opera and developed a reputation for meticulous craftsmanship. His flowing melodies earned him the nickname, "the Swan of Catania."
With the help of a stipend from the municipal government of Catania, Bellini went to study at the Naples Conservatory in 1819 where he studied the masters of the Neapolitan school and the orchestral works of Haydn and Mozart. His first opera, Adelson e Salvini, was premiered at the Conservatory in February 1825. The work was popular among the Conservatory's students and was afterwards performed every Sunday for a year. It also drew the attention of the impresario Domenico Barbaja, who commissioned Bellini for another opera. The premiere of Bianca e Gernando at the Teatro San Carlo was only somewhat successful and is rarely heard in modern times. Bellini's next opera, Il pirata, however, cemented his fame as an opera composer. Premiered at La Scala on October 27th, 1827, the opera was an international success and marked the beginning of a productive collaboration between Bellini and the librettist Felice Romani.
With his growing reputation and experience, Bellini concentrated on craftsmanship, ensuring the highest quality of his work, rather than composing as many operas as possible. For this reason, he was able to demand higher prices for his works. Settling in Milan in 1827, the following years were both productive and successful. La straniera, despite causing a stir among critics for its harmonic style, was an even grander success than Il pirata. Other successes followed including, I Capuleti e I Montecchi which is based on the same source as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, La sonnambula, Norma and I puritani. The only outright failure during these years was Zaira, which was written in haste and without Bellini's usual careful hand.
The summer of 1883 Bellini spent in London directing performances of his operas. Following his time in the British capital, he traveled to Paris where he composed and premiered I puritani. In spite of the enthusiastic response the opera received from the French public, Bellini's life was tragically cut short. Succumbing to an acute inflammation of the intestine, he died in Peteaux, outside of Paris, on September 22nd, 1835. He was buried in Paris but in 1876 his remains were moved to the cathedral in his hometown of Catalina.