[lit-ideas] Re: Dramma per musica

About Bellini.
 
In a message dated 9/27/2010 8:40:25 A.M. Coordinated Universal Time,  
palma@xxxxxxxx writes:

I  puritani va bene, il resto e' piu' dubbio
 
----
 
Indeed. I often think that having JUST composed that
 
"Credeasi misera, da me tradita" melody for the tenor at the end of the  
thing is enough to justify your life. Bellini's life.

Oddly, this little song was translated to the Latin and turned to a  
Requiem mass when Bellini died. It was sung in Latin by Rubini. Bellini had 
been  
'waked' if that's the word in the Chapel of the Musee des Invalides, but the 
 coffin was brought, under heavy rain, to the other (and wrong) side of the 
River  (Seine) to rest in "Pere Lachaise" (cemetery). It was MUCH LATER 
that, due to  the efforts of Rubini's father -- in Catania, of all places -- 
that Bellini (or  strictly, his body) was translated back to where it (he?) 
belonged. He was often  referred to as 'the swan of Catania'.
 
His background was in Napoli, though -- and while he did work for La Scala  
briefly, he preferred Paris. He died of some 'silly' treatable disease and 
he  could have been saved had it not been by the idiotic measures of his 
English  host (who thought Bellini had contracted an incurable, highly 
contagious,  disease, and decided to lock him in his estate -- outside Paris).
 
------ While Donizetti had a better 'temper' and 'character', Bellini was  
perhaps more genial. ALL his 'opere' are worth listening to. Beatrice di 
Tenda  is perhaps the best. --- and even Norma has some good lines for the 
otherwise  hateful Pollione -- the tenor. I judge an opera composer by the 
ability to write  singable good tunes for the tenor. La Sonnambula is pretty 
extraordinary too --  and perhaps the favourite with the English. When Bellini 
visited London he was  warmed that Jenny Lind (big-foot Jenny) was making 
such successes with it, if  not at the aristocratic Haymarket, at the still 
pretty respectable Drury  Lane.
 
Etc.
 
Speranza
 
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