I puritani ( The Puritans ) is an 1835 opera by Vincenzo Bellini . It was originally written in two acts and later changed to three acts on the advice of Gioachino Rossini , with whom the young composer had become friends. The music was set to a libretto by Count Carlo Pepoli , an Italian émigré poet whom Bellini had met at a salon run by the exile Princess Belgiojoso , which became a meeting place for many Italian revolutionaries. The opera is based on Têtes Rondes et Cavaliers ( Roundheads and Cavaliers ), a historical play written by Jacques-François Ancelot and Joseph Xavier Saintine and set in the English Civil War , which some sources state was based on Walter Scott 's 1816 novel Old Mortality , while others state that there is no connection.
72-494: The Bel Canto Trio , consisting of tenor Mario Lanza , soprano Frances Yeend and bass-baritone George London , was created by Columbia Artists Management in 1947. The Bel Canto Trio performed 86 concerts throughout the United States , Canada and Mexico between July 1947 and May 1948. This article about a classical ensemble is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Tenor A tenor
144-607: A "tenor C" (C 5 , one octave above middle C). Some, if not all, of the few top Cs in the standard operatic repertoire are either optional—such as in " Che gelida manina " in Puccini's La bohème —or interpolated (added) by tradition, such as in " Di quella pira " from Verdi's Il trovatore ); however, the highest demanded note in the standard tenor operatic repertoire is D 5 , found in " Mes amis, écoutez l'histoire " from Adolphe Adam 's Le postillon de Lonjumeau and " Loin de son amie " from Fromental Halévy's La Juive ). In
216-470: A bright, steely timbre. Dramatic tenor roles in operas: The heldentenor (English: heroic tenor ) has a rich, dark, powerful and dramatic voice. As its name implies, the heldentenor vocal Fach features in the German romantic operatic repertoire. The heldentenor is the German equivalent of the tenore drammatico, however with a more baritonal quality: the typical Wagnerian protagonist. The keystone of
288-412: A few notes below the C 3 . There are many vocal shades to the lyric tenor group, repertoire should be selected according to the weight, colors, and abilities of the voice. Gilbert Duprez (1806–1896) was a historically significant lyric tenor. He was the first tenor to sing on stage the operatic high C from the chest ( ut de poitrine ) as opposed to using falsettone . He is also known for originating
360-448: A given choir. Orchestral choruses typically call for tenors with fully resonant voices, but chamber or a cappella choral music (choral music sung with no instrumental accompaniment) can rely on baritones singing in falsetto . Even so, one nearly ubiquitous facet of choral singing is the shortage of tenor voices. Most men 18 and older tend to have baritone chest voices, and because of this, many men in choirs tend to prefer singing in
432-441: A group of soldiers passes, then emerges and decides to continue singing to the same melody: (Arturo, aria: Corre a valle, corre a monte / l'esiliato pellegrin / "Through the valleys, over the mountains, hastens the exiled pilgrim") Unseen, Elvira emerges from the trees and stops to listen. She is saddened when the singing stops, and she sorrowfully wonders where Arturo is. Suddenly, he is standing before her and they are reunited in
504-461: A joyful polonaise ( Son vergin vezzosa / "I am a pretty maiden dressed for her wedding"), but she engages the Queen in conversation asking for help with the ringlets of her hair. To allow that to happen, she removes her wedding veil and places it over Enrichetta's head. Both Arturo and Enrichetta realise that this may allow them to escape, and as they proceed, they are challenged by Riccardo who believes
576-576: A letter copied into one written to Florimo on 25 July, Bellini writes in reply to Alessandro Lanari [ fr ] , now the director of the Royal Theatres of Naples, telling him that the first act of Puritani is finished and that he expects to complete the opera by September, in order that he may then have time to write a new opera for Naples for the following year. Finally, Bellini stated that he did not want "to negotiate with anybody until I see what success my opera will have". This included
648-584: A little; then because of so magnificent a company; and finally so as to remain in Paris at others' expense." Taking from April until its premiere the following January, Bellini had time to ensure that the opera was as close to perfection as possible. After the premiere, Bellini reported to his friend Francesco Florimo in Naples that: The French had all gone mad; there were such noise and such shouts that they themselves were astonished at being so carried away ... In
720-495: A period of illness. But, to balance the situation, William Weaver comments that "to some extent Bellini could compensate for Pepoli's deficiencies with his own first-hand theatrical experience" and suggests that some of that experience had been "acquired from Romani." Continuing to work on the yet-unnamed I puritani , Bellini moved from central Paris, and at some time in the late Spring (specific date unknown) Bellini wrote to Pepoli to remind him that he should bring his work with him
792-563: A proposal from the Opéra-Comique in Paris for a new opera for that company. When nothing came of negotiations with Naples for a new opera, Bellini composed an alternative version intended for the famous Maria Malibran , who was to sing Amina (in La sonnambula ) at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples in 1835. However, she died exactly a year to the day after the composer, and so this version
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#1732772281567864-425: A range from approximately the C one octave below middle C (C 3 ) to the C one octave above middle C (C 5 ). Spinto tenor roles in operas: Also "tenore robusto", the dramatic tenor has an emotive, ringing and very powerful, clarion, heroic tenor sound. The dramatic tenor's approximate range is from the B one octave below middle C (B 2 ) to the B one octave above middle C (B 4 ) with some able to sing up to
936-652: A singer specialize in these roles for an entire career. In French opéra comique , supporting roles requiring a thin voice but good acting are sometimes described as 'trial', after the singer Antoine Trial (1737–1795), examples being in the operas of Ravel and in The Tales of Hoffmann . Tenor buffo or spieltenor roles in operas: All of Gilbert and Sullivan 's Savoy operas have at least one lead lyric tenor character. Notable operetta roles are: There are four parts in barbershop harmony : bass, baritone, lead, and tenor (lowest to highest), with "tenor" referring to
1008-614: A spirited duet in which they declare that they will always be together after the long months of being apart. Still a little confused, Elvira believes that Arturo has married the woman whom he escorted from the fortress; he assures Elvira that he has always loved her, that the lady who was in great danger was the queen: (Arturo; then Elvira; then together). Having determined that they love each other and that they will always remain together, they enter into an ecstatic duet. (Arturo: Vieni fra queste braccia / "Come, come to my arms"; Elvira: Caro, caro, non ho parole / "Dearest, dearest, I cannot find
1080-437: A surprisingly broad grasp of operatic repertoire but also some forceful ideas about how music could provoke political feeling. Pepoli adopts a modern aesthetic agenda, condemning vocal ornamentation as a dilution of dramatic sense and attacking imitation as cheapening music's inherent, nonverbal language. After touching on exemplary passages from operas by Francesco Morlacchi , Nicola Vaccai , and Vincenzo Bellini, Pepoli turns to
1152-565: A word, my dear Florimo, it was an unheard of thing, and since Saturday, Paris has spoken of it in amazement It was to be Bellini's final work; he died in September 1835 at the age of 33. Upon his arrival in Paris, Bellini quickly entered into the fashionable world of the Parisian salons , including that run by Princess Belgiojoso whom he had met in Milan. In addition to the many writers of
1224-401: A word, my dear Florimo, it was an unheard of thing, and since Saturday, Paris has spoken of it in amazement ... I showed myself to the audience, which shouted as if insane ... How satisfied I am! [He concludes by noting the success of the singers]: "Lablache sang like a god, Grisi like a little angel, Rubini and Tamburini the same." It was upon Rossini's advice and after the dress rehearsal that
1296-422: Is Enrichetta ( Henrietta Maria ), widow of the executed King Charles I . Insisting that she not be concerned about Elvira, Arturo vows to save her: (Aria, Arturo; then Enrichetta; then together: Non parlar di lei che adoro, / di valor non mi spogliar / "Do not speak of her whom I adore; do not take away my courage. You shall be saved, oh unhappy woman.") Observed by Arturo and Enrichetta, Elvira appears singing
1368-438: Is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types . It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below middle C to the G above middle C (i.e. B 2 to G 4 ) in choral music, and from the second B flat below middle C to the C above middle C (B ♭ 2 to C 5 ) in operatic music, but
1440-406: Is called the lead. Tenor is sung an interval of a third above the lead. Baritone is the fifth of the scale that has the lead as a tonic, and may be sung below the lead, or even above the lead (and the tenor), in which case it is called "high baritone". I puritani When Bellini arrived in Paris in mid-August 1833, he had intended to stay only about three weeks, the main aim being to continue
1512-524: Is yet another distinct tenor type. In Mozart singing, the most important element is the instrumental approach of the vocal sound which implies: flawless and slender emission of sound, perfect intonation, legato, diction and phrasing, capability to cope with the dynamic requirements of the score, beauty of timbre, secure line of singing through perfect support and absolute breath control, musical intelligence, body discipline, elegance, nobility, agility and, most importantly, ability for dramatic expressiveness within
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#17327722815671584-484: The tenore di grazia , the leggero tenor is essentially the male equivalent of a lyric coloratura . This voice is light, agile, and capable of executing difficult passages of fioritura . The typical leggero tenor possesses a range spanning from approximately C 3 to E 5 , with a few being able to sing up to F 5 or higher in full voice . In some cases, the chest register of the leggero tenor may extend below C 3 . Voices of this type are utilized frequently in
1656-427: The alto and soprano . Men's chorus usually denotes an ensemble of TTBB in which the first tenor is the highest voice. Whilst certain choral music does require the first tenors to ascend the full tenor range, the majority of choral music places the tenors in the range from approximately B 2 up to A 4 . The requirements of the tenor voice in choral music are also tied to the style of music most often performed by
1728-400: The leggero repertoire, the highest note is F 5 (Arturo in "Credeasi, misera" from Bellini 's I puritani ), therefore, very few tenors have this role in their repertoire without transposition (given the raising of concert pitch since its composition), or resorting to falsetto . In SATB four-part mixed chorus, the tenor is the second lowest vocal range, above the bass and below
1800-449: The " Marseillaise ", arguing that it melds music and poetry perfectly to arouse feeling and provoke action. Quoting Pepoli, Smart continues: "for this song [the "Marseillaise"] the people fight, win, triumph: Europe and the world shouted Liberty! ". Smart then examines the relationship between Pepoli's 1830 views and how they appear to be manifested in what he wrote for I puritani : The Italian phrase Pepoli uses here, [i.e. in discussing
1872-406: The "Marseillaise"] gridavano Libertà , strikingly anticipates the duet "Suoni la tromba" in I puritani , in which the two basses step outside of the opera's dreamy and non teleological plot for an isolated moment of patriotic fervor. For their homeland they will take up arms and gladly face death: Suoni la tromba, e intrepido/ Io pugnerò da forte/ Bello è affrontar la morte gridando "Libertà" ("Let
1944-404: The 15th century it came to signify the male voice that sang such parts. All other voices were normally calculated in relation to the tenor, which often proceeded in longer note values and carried a borrowed Cantus firmus melody. Until the late 16th-century introduction of the contratenor singers, the tenor was usually the lowest voice, assuming the role of providing a foundation. It was also in
2016-411: The 18th century that "tenor" came to signify the male voice that sang such parts. Thus, for earlier repertoire, a line marked 'tenor' indicated the part's role, and not the required voice type; indeed, even as late as the eighteenth century, partbooks labelled 'tenor' might contain parts for a range of voice types. The vocal range of the tenor is the highest of the male voice types . Within opera ,
2088-415: The C one octave above middle C (C 5 ). Many successful dramatic tenors though have historically avoided the coveted high C in performance. Their lower range tends to extend into the baritone tessitura or, a few notes below the C 3 , even down to A♭ 2 . Some dramatic tenors have a rich and dark tonal colour to their voice (such as the mature Enrico Caruso ) while others (like Francesco Tamagno ) possess
2160-630: The Spinto Fach is the Jugendlicher Heldentenor and encompasses many of the Dramatic tenor roles as well as some Wagner roles such as Lohengrin and Stolzing. The difference is often the depth and metal in the voice where some lyric tenors age or push their way into singing as a Spinto giving them a lighter tone and a Jugendlicher Heldentenor tends to be either a young heldentenor or true lyric spinto. Spinto tenors have
2232-796: The Théâtre-Italien during the same season as the one for which he was writing. According to Weinstock, quoting letters sent to Florimo in Italy at around that time (and continuing almost up to I puritani ' s premiere), Bellini perceived this to be a plot orchestrated by Rossini and, in a long, rambling letter of 2,500 words to Florino of 11 March 1834, he expressed his frustrations. As it transpired, Bellini's total success vastly outshone Donizetti's moderate one ( Marin Faliero , given in March 1835, two months after I puritani ). By September Bellini
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2304-496: The ability to create distinct voices for his characters. This voice specializes in smaller comic roles. The range of the tenor buffo is from the C one octave below middle C (C 3 ) to the C one octave above middle C (C 5 ). The tessitura of these parts ranges from lower than other tenor roles to very high and broad. These parts are often played by younger tenors who have not yet reached their full vocal potential or older tenors who are beyond their prime singing years. Only rarely will
2376-399: The bass section (though true basses are even rarer than tenors). Many baritones sing tenor even if they are not able to cover the full range in only their chest voice, and sometimes contraltos sing the tenor part. In men's choruses that consist of four male vocal parts (TTBB; tenor 1, tenor 2, bass 1, bass 2), tenors will often sing both in chest voice and falsetto, extending the vocal range of
2448-435: The choir. Within the tenor voice type category are seven generally recognized subcategories: leggero tenor, lyric tenor, spinto tenor, dramatic tenor, heldentenor, Mozart tenor, and tenor buffo or spieltenor. There is considerable overlap between the various categories of role and of voice-type; some tenor singers have begun with lyric voices but have transformed with time into spinto or even dramatic tenors. Also known as
2520-467: The church, faithful Arturo".) It is increasingly clear that she has gone mad. A room in the fortress As the ladies and gentlemen of the castle are mournful for Elvira's totally downcast state of mind, Giorgio describes her madness: (Aria: Cinta di fiori / "Garlanded with flowers and with her lovely hair disheveled, sometimes the beloved maiden wanders about...") and he describes her flights into madness and her pleas for Arturo to return. Riccardo brings
2592-551: The dress rehearsal took place on 20 January 1835. It was attended by "all of high society, all the great artists, and everyone most distinguished in Paris were in the theatre, enthusiastic." Bellini's ecstatic letter to Florimo which followed the dress rehearsal recounts the enthusiastic reception of many of the numbers throughout the performance, most especially the second act bass duet, so that, by its end: The French had all gone mad; there were such noise and such shouts that they themselves were astonished at being so carried away ... In
2664-446: The first act but which Bellini had already realised could not remain in its written form if the opera was to be given in Italy. Instead of two acts, with the "Hymn" appearing midway in the second act, Rossini proposed that it be a three-act opera with Suoni la tromba ending act 2, arguing that the effect would always be likely to create an ovation, something which he rightly foretold. Throughout his stay in Paris, Bellini had cultivated
2736-504: The flame is love, not glory". Scene 2: Elvira's apartments Elvira welcomes Giorgio, her uncle. He treats her with fatherly love, but when he tells her that she will soon be married, she is horror-struck. (Aria, then extended duet: Sai com'arde in petto mio / bella fiamma onnipossente / "You know that my breast burns with overwhelming passion".) She continues, stating a determination never to be married. But when Giorgio tells her that her cavalier, Arturo, will be coming, he reveals that it
2808-440: The following day "so that we can finish discussing the first act, which...will be interesting, magnificent, and proper poetry for music in spite of you and all your absurd rules..." At the same time, he laid out one basic rule for the librettist to follow: Carve into your head in adamantine letters: The opera must draw tears, terrify people, make them die through singing By late June, there had been considerable progress and, in
2880-454: The following day's battle, Arturo appears, he will perish at his hand. The two men now have an agreement: (Finale: Giorgio, then Riccardo, then together: Suoni la tromba / "Let the battle-cry be: country, victory, victory and honour. Let the trumpets sound, and I shall fight strongly, fearlessly." A wooded area near the fortress, three months later Arturo is still on the run. He is exhausted and has returned seeking Elvira. Suddenly he hears
2952-501: The heldentenor's repertoire is arguably Wagner's Siegfried , an extremely demanding role requiring a wide vocal range and great power, plus tremendous stamina and acting ability. Often the heldentenor is a baritone who has transitioned to this Fach or tenors who have been misidentified as baritones. Therefore, the heldentenor voice might or might not have facility up to high B or C. The repertoire, however, rarely calls for such high notes. Heldentenor roles in operas: A Mozart tenor
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3024-402: The highest part. The tenor generally sings in falsetto voice, corresponding roughly to the countertenor in classical music, and harmonizes above the lead, who sings the melody. The barbershop tenor range is Middle C to A one octave above Middle C, though it is written an octave lower. The "lead" in barbershop music is equivalent to the normal tenor range. In bluegrass music , the melody line
3096-467: The lowest note in the standard tenor repertoire is widely defined to be B ♭ 2 . However, the role of Rodrigo di Dhu (written for Andrea Nozzari ) in Rossini's rarely performed La donna del lago is defined as a tenor but requires an A ♭ 2 . Within more frequently performed repertoire, Mime and Herod both call for an A 2 . A few tenor roles in the standard repertoire call for
3168-623: The major roles. The 1960s saw a variety of performances in the years between 1960 ( Glyndebourne Festival with Joan Sutherland which was recorded) and 1969 when Weinstock's account ends. However, he does include a section on performances from the 19th century forward at the Royal Opera House in London up to Joan Sutherland's 1964 assumption of the role of Elvira. The article's "Recordings" section indicates some other performances which may have been recordings of live performances, although
3240-527: The moon is in the sky, Everything is silent, until the dawn breaks in the sky"). The two men encourage Elvira to return to her room. For Elvira's sake, Giorgio encourages Riccardo to help save his rival, advising that he will forever be pursued by their phantoms. Riccardo rejects the request: (Giorgio, then Riccardo, then duet: Il rival salvar tu déi, / il rival salvar tu puoi / "You must save your rival, you can save your rival"), but gradually Riccardo comes around to accept that idea. However, he states that if in
3312-399: The narrow borders imposed by the strict Mozartian style. The German Mozart tenor tradition goes back to the end of the 1920s, when Mozart tenors started making use of Caruso's technique (a tenor who rarely sang Mozart) to achieve and improve the required dynamics and dramatic expressiveness. Mozart tenor roles in operas: A Tenor buffo or spieltenor is a tenor with good acting ability, and
3384-703: The negotiations with the Paris Opéra which had begun on his way to London a few months earlier. These negotiations came to nothing, but by October he had decided to spend the winter in that city, especially as both Il pirata and I Capuleti e i Montecchi were to be given by the Théâtre-Italien that season. The offer from the Théâtre came in January 1834; he accepted because "the pay was richer than what I had received in Italy up to then, though only by
3456-784: The news that Arturo is now a fugitive who has been condemned to death by Parliament for allowing Enrichetta to escape. Giorgio states that the only hope for Elvira will be a sudden joyous experience. Elvira is heard outside, still deranged but longing for Arturo: "Either give me back hope, let me die" she cries. As she enters, she expresses all her longing in a mad scene : Elvira, aria: Qui la voce ... Vien, diletto / "Here his sweet voice called me...and then vanished. Here he swore to be true, here he swore it, and then, cruel man, he fled!". Entering, she confronts her uncle and Riccardo, whom she fails to recognise, even in her moments of lucidity. She addresses him as if he were Arturo: (Elvira, cabaletta: Vien, diletto, è in ciel la luna / "Come, beloved,
3528-421: The older composer and had maintained a friendship with him: "I have always adored Rossini, and I succeeded, and happily ... [having] tamed Rossini's [perceived] hatred, I no longer was frightened and finished that work of mine which won me so much honour". Later, the successful dress rehearsal, he wrote: "... my very dear Rossini ... now loves me as a son". With rehearsals planned for late December/early January,
3600-809: The one DVD from the Metropolitan Opera in January 2007 came from a Metropolitan Opera Live in HD presentation. Scene 1: A fortress near Plymouth , commanded by Lord Gualtiero Valton At daybreak, the Puritan soldiers gather in anticipation of victory over the Royalists . Prayers are heard from within, and then shouts of joy as the ladies and gentlemen of the castle come out announcing news of Elvira's wedding. Left alone, Riccardo shares with Bruno his plight: Riccardo had been promised Elvira's hand in marriage by her father Lord Valton but, returning to Plymouth
3672-780: The opera appeared at the Manhattan Opera House in New York, followed by stagings at the Metropolitan Opera in February 1917, but in New York it was not revived for many years. Various performances are reported to have taken place in 1921, 1933, 1935, and 1949 in different European cities, but it was not until 1955 in Chicago that Puritani re-appeared in America with Maria Callas and Giuseppe Di Stefano in
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#17327722815673744-468: The opera was changed from two acts to three, the second act ending after the Suoni la tromba duet for the two basses. The premiere, postponed by two days, took place on 24 January 1835. 19th century The opera became "the rage of Paris" and was given 17 performances to end the season on 31 March. Herbert Weinstock 's chapter on I puritani devotes four pages to details of performances which followed
3816-497: The opera was to be performed in Italy. Nevertheless, the Suoni la tromba which Bellini described as his "Hymn to Liberty" and which had initially been placed in the opera's first act was enthusiastically received by the composer: "My dear Pepoli, I hasten to express my great satisfaction with the duet I received by post this morning ... the whole is magnificent..." Around the middle of April 1834, Bellini became concerned when he learned that Gaetano Donizetti would be composing for
3888-494: The operas of Rossini , Donizetti , Bellini and in music dating from the Baroque period. Leggero tenor roles in operas: The lyric tenor is a warm graceful voice with a bright, full timbre that is strong but not heavy and can be heard over an orchestra. Lyric tenors have a range from approximately the C one octave below middle C (C 3 ) to the D one octave above middle C (D 5 ). Similarly, their lower range may extend
3960-571: The premiere in Paris, although the Théâtre-Italien gave it over 200 times up to 1909. In 1835, London saw it in May, La Scala (in what Weinstock thinks as being a "pirate edition") in December. In Palermo it was given as Elvira e Arturo during the following season and La Fenice presented it in April 1836 as I puritani e i cavalieri with Giuseppina Strepponi as Elvira. It took until January 1837 before it
4032-462: The previous evening, he has found that she is in love with Arturo (a Royalist), and will marry him instead. He confides in Bruno. (Aria: Ah! Per sempre ...Bel sogno beato / "Ah! Forever have I lost you, flower of love, oh my hope; ah! life from now on will be full of sorrow".) As he pours out his sorrows to Bruno, Riccardo is called upon by his soldiers to lead them but he declares "I am aflame, but
4104-449: The principal roles, and that he would begin to write the music by 15 April if he had received the verses. Before the collaboration had got underway and initially impressed by the quality of Pepoli's verses in general, Bellini had prepared the way for his librettist by providing him with a scenario of thirty-nine scenes (thus compressing the original drama into manageable proportions), reducing the number of characters from nine to seven and at
4176-509: The range can extend at either end. Subtypes of tenor include the leggero tenor, lyric tenor, spinto tenor, dramatic tenor, heldentenor, and tenor buffo or spieltenor . The name "tenor" derives from the Latin word tenere , which means "to hold". As noted in the "Tenor" article at Grove Music Online : In polyphony between about 1250 and 1500, the [tenor was the] structurally fundamental (or 'holding') voice, vocal or instrumental; by
4248-491: The role of Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor . Lyric tenor roles in operas: The spinto tenor has the brightness and height of a lyric tenor, but with a heavier vocal weight enabling the voice to be "pushed" to dramatic climaxes with less strain than the lighter-voice counterparts. Spinto tenors have a darker timbre than a lyric tenor, without having a vocal color as dark as many (not all) dramatic tenors. The German equivalent of
4320-456: The same letter he tells of working towards finding a subject with the Italian émigré, Count Pepoli, who had not written a libretto before. However, on 11 April he is able to say in a letter to Ferlito that he was well and that "I have chosen the story for my Paris opera; it is of the times of Cromvello [Cromwell], after he had King Charles I of England beheaded." The chosen source of the libretto
4392-409: The same time, giving them names of a more Italianate, singable quality. But a month later, he comments to Florimo on what it takes working on the libretto with Pepoli: "keeping [Pepoli] moving ahead costs me a lot of weariness; he lacks practice which is a great thing [to have]." For Bellini, the process of both overseeing the writing of the libretto and working with Pepoli was a struggle, added to by
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#17327722815674464-409: The sounds of singing coming through the woods: (Elvira, aria: A una fonte afflitto e solo / s'assideva un trovator / "A troubadour sat sad and lonely by a fountain"). He calls out, but gets no response and, recalling how the couple used to sing together in the woods, he also sings the troubadour melody until the sound of drumbeats and the shouting of soldiers silences him. He covers himself and hides as
4536-420: The time, among the musical figures which he would have encountered were several Italians such as Michele Carafa and Luigi Cherubini , then in his seventies. Thus, for most of the remainder of 1833, Bellini's musical activity was very limited. He pleaded guilty in the letter to Florimo in March 1834 noting that the city's attractions were immense. The contract to write a new opera for the Théâtre-Italien, which
4608-427: The trumpet sound, and fearless I'll fight with all my strength. It is beautiful to face death shouting 'liberty')." Then she recounts how Bellini reacted to what she describes as Pepoli’s "hotheaded patriotism" which appears in librettist's poetry. When he wrote to Pepoli that his "liberal bent..terrifies me", Bellini's other concern, which proved to be correct, was that words such as libertà would have to be removed if
4680-444: The wedding ceremony and he provides Arturo with a safe conduct pass. A mysterious lady appears, and Valton tells her that he will be escorting her to London to appear before Parliament. Arturo is curious. Giorgio tells him that she is suspected of being a Royalist spy. As Elvira leaves to prepare herself for the wedding and the others depart in various directions, Arturo hangs back and finds the mysterious lady alone. He discovers that she
4752-499: The woman to be Elvira. He almost provokes a fight with Arturo until he discovers that she is not Elvira; then, he is content to allow them to pass, swearing not to reveal any information. When the wedding party enters, they ask for Arturo, then learn, largely from Riccardo, that he has fled with Enrichetta. Pursuit is organised. Becoming increasingly distraught, Elvira believes that she sees Arturo: (Aria; then ensemble: Oh, vieni al tempio, fedele Arturo / "Ah! come, ah! come! Oh! come to
4824-656: Was he who persuaded her father, Lord Valton, to grant Elvira's wish. She is overjoyed. Then the sound of trumpets is heard announcing Arturo's arrival; he is welcomed by all. Scene 3: The Hall of Arms Arturo and his squires come into the hall and are joined by Elvira, Valton, Giorgio and the ladies and gentlemen of the castle. After a general welcome from all assembled, Arturo expresses his new-found happiness. (Aria, Arturo; then Giorgio and Valton; then all assembled: A te, o cara / amore talora / "In you beloved, love led me in secrecy and tears, now it guides me to your side".) Valton tells everyone that he will not be able to attend
4896-520: Was identified as a play performed in Paris only six months before in September 1833. When first shown the play and other possible subjects by Pepoli, in the opinion of writer William Weaver, "it was clearly the heroine's madness that attracted the composer and determined his choice. In his letter to Ferlito of 11 April, Bellini provides a synopsis of the opera, indicating that his favourite singers, Giulia Grisi , Luigi Lablache , Giovanni Battista Rubini , and Antonio Tamburini , would all be available for
4968-685: Was not performed on stage until 10 April 1986 at the Teatro Petruzzelli in Bari , with Katia Ricciarelli in the title role. Given Bellini's own expressions of frustration at working with a new librettist for the first time, one musicologist, Mary Ann Smart , provides a different point of view in regard to Pepoli's approach to writing a libretto. Firstly, she addresses the issue of Pepoli's inexperience: An address that Pepoli delivered to prize-winning students in Bologna in 1830 reveals not only
5040-690: Was seen at the San Carlo in Naples; Messina saw it in 1838. Weinstock recounts details of hundreds more, including being given in Rome in 1836 as Elvira Walton , and during that year he details performances in Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, and Bologna (with Giulia Grisi as Elvira). Between 1836 and 1845 (with no details provided before 20th century performances are discussed), the opera was presented every year in different cities. 20th century and beyond Details from 1906 forward are provided by Weinstock. In that year
5112-411: Was signed in January 1834, called for it to be presented at the end of that year. Once it was signed, Bellini began to look around for a suitable subject and, in a letter to Florimo of 11 March 1834, he expresses some frustrations, noting: "I am about to lose my mind over the plot of the opera for Paris, as it has been impossible to find a suitable subject for my purpose and adaptable to the company". In
5184-421: Was writing to Florimo of being able to "polish and re-polish" in the three remaining months before rehearsals and he expresses happiness with Pepoli's verses ("a very beautiful trio for the two basses and La Grisi ") and by around mid-December he had submitted the score for Rossini's approval. Rossini is known to have recommended one change to the placement of the "Hymn to Liberty", which had initially appeared in
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