Vincenzo Bellini
“The Swan of Catania” and “The Master of Melancholia” - these are the names Vincenzo Bellini received in bohemian circles. The reason for this was the long, smooth musical phrases that became the original calling card of the operatic masterpieces of the Italian composer. Giuseppe Verdi considered him an innovator and reformer in music, a fellow student and devoted comrade Francesco Florimi emphasized the noble features of the face and the ability to stick with inimitable dignity even when meeting important people, Wagner admired the ability to harmoniously link the libretto, melody and the psychology of the image in one part. Having lived a bright and rapid life, Vincenzo Bellini "responded" to the soul of each of his contemporaries, having to do with art.
A brief biography of Vincenzo Bellini and many interesting facts about the composer read on our page.
Short Biography of Bellini
Vincenzo was born in the Italian port town on the island of Sicily. His father earned his living by playing the organ in religious services and teaching aristocrats to the children. Catania, the place where the future talented composer was born, is located at the foot of the volcano Etna.
The origin provided the boy with the opportunity to learn music from childhood. However, to get a more serious education, money was required. From the biography of Bellini, we learn that when the young man turned 17, the question of moving to Naples had the status of paramount, in a small town it was simply impossible to develop further in a creative vector. At this time, Duke Stefano Notabartolo was appointed head of the province of Catania. He arrived in the city with his wife, a noble couple quickly learned about the situation in which Bellini found herself. By 1818, he was the author of several pieces for orchestra and had the reputation of being a capable young man. The Duchess and her husband recommended Vincenzo to apply with the request of the City Council. The request of the young man was satisfied: he was assigned a scholarship. The money that the new student received for 4 years allowed him to move to Naples and enter the conservatory. From Catania Bellini left, enlisting not only financial support, but also letters of recommendation from members of the board of commissaries.
Student years gave a young man, full of strength, hope and lofty expectations, two valuable acquaintances. The first allowed us to find a spiritual father, a mentor, the second grew into a close friendship that survived until the last moments of Bellini’s life. Artistic director Antonio Zingarelli, by virtue of a developed intuition and professional flair, quickly recognized a huge creative potential in a student and penetrated to Vincenzo's paternal feelings. It was Zingarelli who told his protege the secret of composer's skill: “If you learn to hear the melodies that come from the heart and record them in the most simplified form, success will come. You will become a composer. If you don’t master this skill, you can always become a decent organist in rural outback. " The subsequent works of Bellini of the early and late period clearly show that the capable student learned these words and never forgot. A close friend of Bellini became Francesco Florimo, it was with him that the composer maintained an epistolary connection with him throughout his life at various twists and turns.
The investments, moral and material, were fully justified when, at the age of 24, Vincenzo presented the first creation in the operatic genre. The premiere of "Adelson and Salvini" was held on the stage of the hall of the native conservatory. It is noteworthy that during the lessons in the educational institution, more attention was paid to works for the church choir or exclusively to instrumental plays, symphonies, suites and sonatas. After the triumphal debut, Bellini began to receive permanent orders. Career rapidly began to develop, giving the public a reason to discuss the new phenomenal talent in the field of opera. With delight, the public embraced the creation of Bianca and Gernando. The opera, which tells about the court struggle for power, intrigue and love, contrary to prejudice, included in the repertoire of the theater "San Carlo" in Naples.
A year later, the eminent theater in Milan, La Scala, claimed the right to put on stage a new opera performance by Bellini. For the legendary troupe, the author by 1827 wrote an opera on the text of the romantic tragedy of C. Matyurin "Pirate". In 1829, the success was cemented by the "Alien". At this dizzying career take off was completed.
The name Vincenzo Bellini was well known, but over time the attitude towards the maestro changed. Critics sharpened feathers and began to diligently search for flaws, compare works with the style of compositions by other composers who gained considerable popularity. New creation "Zaire" received extremely negative reviews and ratings. Trying to rehabilitate himself, Bellini gives to the listeners "Somnambulu", but here he does not receive satisfactory and encouraging opinions. Forced creative crisis composer decides to survive in a new place. He moves to Paris to rethink the essence and needs of personal self-expression.
Temporary rest and tranquility among the Parisian landscapes helped the maestro to return to the avant-garde positions in creative circles. "Norm"and"Puritans"- works that marked the composer's return to the roots of success and demonstrated a non-trivial potential. In 1835, at the culminating major moment of the score, called life, a sudden and tragic code was formed. Bellini died suddenly from acute intestinal disease, which provoked purulent inflammation in the liver tissues.
At the time of the death of Vincenzo Bellini was 33 years old, he died in Paris and was buried originally in one of the most famous cemeteries in Europe - Pierre-Lachaise. The legendary necropolis was the last refuge for many prominent figures in various fields of art. Only in 1876 the ashes of the composer were transported to his homeland, to Catania. Currently, it is kept in the Cathedral of Agatha, the Christian martyr who died in Sicily.
His life path ended at a relatively young age, but in the past days there was a place for both defeat and enchanting triumph. The music of Vincenzo Bellini found her grateful listeners during the life of the author. Opera performances were performed on the stages of Naples, Milan and Paris. The talented composer received an enviable share of fame and recognition, which ensured his immortality despite the physical laws.
Bellini's personal life
In his student time, Bellini fell in love with a teacher's daughter. The chosen one was Maddalena Fumaroli. The girl's parents strongly opposed the relationship of the daughter and the poor, unremarkable young man. The father of the family once returned to Vincenzo all his letters, which he sent to his beloved, and in his own message announced that he would never marry his daughter to a poor pianist.
Sanghi views of senior worship changed, when the challenger for the girl’s hand and heart gained fame and began reaping with relish in the form of comprehensive attention, relevance and patronage from notable representatives of high society. However, the fate of young people did not connect. In another letter to Maddalena, Vincenzo admitted that he could not keep his feelings at a distance, he was too carried away by creativity.
In 1828 there was a meeting with a fatal woman, the novel lasted 5 years. The relationship with a married respectable lady named Judith of Turin greatly influenced the composer's emotional state. In a relatively short period, he managed to feel the most happy and insanely unhappy man. Analyzing the past, this is a multifaceted feeling based on passion, attraction and constant drama, the composer compared with hell. An acquaintance happened in Genoa. Bellini once admitted to his best friend Francesco Florimo that he was completely satisfied with the position in which he found himself. The married status of his mistress "removed" from him the unwritten commitment regarding the need to marry. The composer avoided official ties in every way, noting that family life would not allow him to devote himself entirely to work. He never married and remained faithful to his vocation until the end of his days.
In the spring of 1833 her husband Juditht accused her of treason. He did not possess actual confirmations, but in his hands was a love message addressed to his wife. Deceived husband decided to break up with the wrong and began to look for literate ways that would allow him to tactfully put the traitor from the house. The event excited Vincenzo: what happened meant that the mistress would come to him in Paris and settle with him, which the composer passionately wanted to avoid. In order to prevent such a situation, Bellini was ready to immediately leave the French capital. The romantic relationship flare disappeared irrevocably, the connection was broken.
The death of the composer in 1835 brought Juditht and Florimo closer: both lost a loved one and needed support. Friendly relationships between them, based on memories and some kind of spiritual intimacy, lasted for many more years. Juditht died in 1871, she survived Vincenzo by as much as 36 years.
Interesting facts about Vincenzo Bellini
- The ways of genius are never simple and predictable; for some, talent manifests itself in adulthood, for others, it is expressed from an early age. For Vincenzo Bellini, Providence has spent a short period of time on earth, his life since childhood has been full of events that are not characterized by ordinaryness. The biography of Bellini says that the first work of Vincenzo wrote at the age of 7 years. It was a solemn psalm, inspired by the influence of his grandfather, who played the organ in the church parish.
- As a reward for academic excellence at the Bellini Conservatory, he was able to attend the opera 2 times a week without a ticket.
- Rossini became the man who unknowingly could have deprived the musical art of the name of the great Bellini. After listening to the works of Gioacchino, Vincenzo lost faith in his own abilities, talent, and even thought about leaving attempts to create music forever.
- At the premiere of his second opera, Bianca and Gernando, the author received an ovation from the king of both Sicilies. The monarch applauded while standing.
- A true enthusiastic shock, which caused a catharsis among the public, which already favored the demanded composer in the period of 1829, turned into barcarole from "Stranger Woman". The song, based on folk motifs, reached the most hidden spiritual strings of the refined aristocratic society. This was a signal for the maestro to find his own way in the works. The author demonstrated his commitment to the use of national motives in later periods of work.
- It is noteworthy that Normu, an outstanding masterpiece, was not immediately accepted by the public in the first half of the 19th century. It took several productions for the work to be recognized as symbolic and worthy, although at first only the title aria was honored with such "lush" epithets. The master rewrote it 6 times before stopping in search of the perfect sound.
- The Order of the Legion of Honor from the hands of the ruler of France Bellini received after the premiere production of "Puritans". It was the final major work of the maestro, but then he did not even guess about it.
- Only one of the 11 operas did not receive rave reviews. This is "Zaire". The reason for this could have been the haste with which Bellini worked, writing in order to order. According to another version, the literary libretto by V. Scott in the finished version did not sound harmoniously against the background of the music presented.
Creativity Vincenzo Bellini
The prevailing mood in the music of Vincenzo Bellini is a certain melancholy, light sadness. The composer worked in the genre of the bel canto opera and brought the components to the limit, the reference perfection. Melodies in works often turn out to be smooth, stinging, performed on a deep legato. At the same time, the parties for voice are distinguished by extreme expressiveness, which in some moments can be perceived as a manifestation of pathos, which is not denied in bel canto and is even welcomed.
The music, written by Bellini, had an enormous influence on the work of many famous composers, including the Polish pianist and composer. Frederic Chopin. These two extraordinary personalities are related to the desire for simplicity and accessibility of musical content. During the whole process of creation, Bellini intends to set his skills in the manner of creating and performing musical works of his contemporaries. He refused refined complex techniques, excessive ornateness, difficulty in favor of lightness and proximity to ethnic motives. Critics often condemned such creative priorities, pointing to overly superficial and ill-conceived orchestral accompaniment.
Vincenzo Bellini admired talent Gioacchino Rossinibut objectively approached the comparison, which was not possible to avoid, the meeting of two composers took place in 1829. By the time the opera "Barber of seville"heard in Italy and the United States. Rossini conquered the public with a dynamic, vibrant action with a solemn overture comparable to elegant bravado. However, not only the compatriot's operas inspired Vincenzo, but also his chamber-instrumental works, solemn masses.
Vincenzo understood that he could learn a lot from the genius creator of unsurpassed music, but at the same time he realized how different their paths were. Intuitively there was a conviction: the best that it can translate into art should not be based on imitation and intentionally created complexity of forms. This conclusion was preceded by a time of experimentation. Time has clearly demonstrated: the simplicity and brevity, which Rossini refused, are not at all synonymous with mediocrity and stage failure.
According to Bellini’s biography, in 1831 the maestro succumbed to the wishes of connoisseurs of art sharp in the language and created an opera that stands out sharply from the background of previous works. "Norm“- a peculiar gesture that demonstrated the composer’s ability to create complex accompaniment and detailed parts for performers. The opera, which was performed by the unsurpassed Spanish diva Maria Malibran, was a smash success and delighted the critical community. By the time the Bellini masterpiece had barely crossed the threshold of the 30th anniversary. Even Observing the obvious success of his work among Bohemians, the Italian could hardly have dared to suggest that Norma would become one of the best operas of all time, and even in the 21st century protects the relevance. Cavatina "Casta Diva" from "Norma" and now is a serious test in the vocal plan, even for the leading stars of the world opera stage. The part is written for soprano and has almost no analogues in terms of complexity.
The opera has become an eloquent epilogue of the creative pathPuritans"telling about the piercing story of love and deceit, the struggle of a sense of duty with the desires of an agitated heart."
Doubts, bitterness from the impossibility of approaching the ideal, stubborn critics who do not want to recognize the right of a creative person to originality - with negative circumstances Vincenzo Bellini juggled like a virtuoso circus performer in the arena. Any obstacle to harmony turned around for new experiments in creativity and unexpected discoveries presented in a unique style. Is this not the secret of the superiority and majesty of immortal music over the transience and fragility of human life?
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