[lit-ideas] Re: Dramma per musica
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:55:31 EDT
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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