Vincenzo Bellini

Vincenzo Bellini was born in Satania, Sicily. He represented only one generation in a long history of professional musicians. His father, who was an organist for Cantania Cathedral, gave Bellini his first music lessons. Early in his music career, Bellini wrote religious and secular pieces that attracted the attention of the Duchess of Sammartino, who provided funds for Bellini to attend the San Sebastiano Conservatory in Naples. There Bellini completed two masses, a cantata titled Ismene, a symphony; and an opera titled Adelson e Salvina (1825). The impresario Barbaja commissioned Bellini to write an opera for one of his theaters. Bellini wrote Bianca e Fernando (1825). His next opera, Il Pirata (1827), foreshadowed characteristics of Bellini's developed style, which are exemplified in I Capuletti e I Montecchi (1830), an opera based on Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. La Sonnambula (1831), is considered Bellinti's first undisputed masterwork. The success of the opera led to another commissioned opera, for which Bellini wrote Norma (1831). Norma was Bellini's personal favorite and his second critically acclaimed masterpiece. In Norma, Bellini attained majestic melodic expressiveness and elegant lyricism, as exemplified in Norma's aria, "Casta Diva." He completed I Puritani in 1835. Bellini is highly regarded as a composer of great melodies in the bel canto style. In addition to his remarkable melodic gifts, Bellini was a powerful dramatist who influenced the direction and evolution of opera. Norma and I Puritani are produced regularly by the world's major opera companies. Bellini died in 1835 of intestinal fever.