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Bellini on DVD and Blu-ray

13K views 55 replies 19 participants last post by  SixFootScowl 
#1 · (Edited)
Since at least one distinguished member is on sort of a Bellini trip these days here are my thoughts on a dvd of said composer's I Puritani I bought a few months ago. The star attraction here is very much the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko. Sure - Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland or some others may be even better in this repertoire, but Callas' Elvira was never captured on video and Sutherland is definitely more fun to listen to than to watch.

Netrebko does vocally very well in my opinion and she's great to watch too. Not only because she's such a gorgeous looking lady but also because she's a good actress, and one who uses the entire stage to her advantage. In fact, the rest of the cast looks like a bunch of statues compared to her. Vocally most of them are acceptable though, but Netrebko is clearly the star of the show in every meaning of the word. The production is not spectacular, but at least it's traditional. A nice bonus is that Renée Fleming does an interview with Anna between acts and the legendary Beverly Sills adds some comments about the opera also. Not a 'perfect' I Puritani maybe, but lots of fun anyway.



Some youtubes....





 
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#2 ·
So far I'm only familiar with two Bellini operas - I Capuleti, seen live once, and heard on CD several times; and Norma, heard once on CD. But this Christmas has brought me La Sonnambula, which I haven't listened to yet. So I'm glad to have the chance of looking at these Youtubes, and to read your account of the DVD of I Puritani - of which I knew nothing at all up to this point. I can see what you mean about Netrebko's domination of the stage, and her use of it. You can't quite take your eyes off her, can you?
 
#3 ·
Yes - she's good. My only regret is that I didn't wait a few months longer before buying. I paid £23 (not including shipping) for it at Amazon while this guy from HongKong sells it for £4.5. :angry:

The libretto from I Puritani is rather mediocre (Bellini didn't work with his regular librettist Felice Romani on this one) but the music ranks with Bellini's best IMO. It was his last opera. I think you'll love La Sonnambula. Norma, La Sonnambula and I Puritani are regarded by most as his best.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I don't have a Norma DVD although I know that there are several out there (June Anderson, Joan Sutherland, Edita Gruberova, etc). I have the famous Callas cd set (her first studio recording of the opera), but I'm one of the few who likes it rather than loves it. The reason is that the voices are too much upfront and the orchestra too much in the background. But considering how popular that set is mine is obviously a minority opinion.
 
#11 ·
I like and respect her, and she's a great artist but she's not one of my top fave sopranos. That doesn't mean that I think that my faves are better - just a matter of personal taste. Let's just say that I could listen to Kiri, Fleming, Freni or Schwarzkopf for hours on a daily basis while I have to be in the mood for Callas. :)
 
#14 ·


Finally watched this one. This Cutler is spectacularly terrible. He has the voice of homosexual sucker. At least here he sings this way. I skipped all his longer arias. I'm glad that he has relatively (as for a main character) little to sing. The rest of male singers are great, Netrebko is great, staging is great (one of best I've ever seen, scenography in last scene is perfect), same with customes. Who let this guy almost ruin this performance? He's to weak to be given such cool custome and stage partners.

This cemented my antipathy fot Arturo as a character. He's lucky *******, that's all. The real positive male character of this opera is Riccardo (very well performed on this DVD). He and Elvira's uncle are just for my liking.

You may say that Riccardo is vicious because he did what he did in first act, but it's totally natural for all noble dudes to hate dudes who steal their brides. He had right to do what he did and letting go after being convinced by friend makes him even more noble and sympathetic. Superiority of his voice compared to Arturo's doubled those views.

By the way, before this I had recording with Callas and there is diffrent ending - after Cromwell's heralds arrive Elvira doesn't sing solo like she does on this DVD. Diffrent versions of opera?
 
#15 ·


Finally watched this one. This Cutler is spectacularly terrible. He has the voice of homosexual sucker. At least here he sings this way. I skipped all his longer arias. I'm glad that he has relatively (as for a main character) little to sing. The rest of male singers are great, Netrebko is great, staging is great (one of best I've ever seen, scenography in last scene is perfect), same with customes. Who let this guy almost ruin this performance? He's to weak to be given such cool custome and stage partners.

This cemented my antipathy fot Arturo as a character. He's lucky *******, that's all. The real positive male character of this opera is Riccardo (very well performed on this DVD). He and Elvira's uncle are just for my liking.
This male vocals will get big upgrade in soon to be released Putitani with JDF and D'arcangelo, and Nino Machaidze will be as good or better than Netrebko in the female vocal department I predict.

The only slight catch is the spartan bare staging may let us down, although costumes look very good

 
#18 · (Edited)


This DVD is worth getting for JDF alone. Wow, what a great job he does with this kind of music, and his acting is improving too. I also liked Nino Madchaize's Elvira - she played her as slightly unstable from the begining so the mad scene was not unexpected. And she is so gorgeous, particularly in the blue dress in act 1 (and charmingly excited in her curtain call). The two leads had real chemistry and a sense of affection.

The production is stark but this is appropriate for a play about puritans - in fact in contrast I found the Met's lace and ruffles rather odd. I thought some of the scenery rather magical, especially the forest backdrop. This is probably better seen on DVD than in the theatre as the frequent close-ups of beautiful expressive people compensate for any dullness in the staging.

I will be watching this over again. Bellini can sure write a ripping tune, can't he:D!
 
#19 ·


This DVD is worth getting for JDF alone. Wow, what a great job he does with this kind of music, and his acting is improving too. I also liked Nino Madchaize's Elvira - she played her as slightly unstable from the begining so the mad scene was not unexpected. And she is so gorgeous, particularly in the blue dress in act 1 (and charmingly excited in her curtain call). The two leads had real chemistry and a sense of affection.

The production is stark but this is appropriate for a play about puritans - in fact in contrast I found the Met's lace and ruffles rather odd. I thought some of the scenery rather magical, especially the forest backdrop. This is probably better seen on DVD than in the theatre as the frequent close-ups of beautiful expressive people compensate for any dullness in the staging.

I will be watching this over again. Bellini can sure write a ripping tune, can't he:D!
We disagree about how weak is this production (for me very poor)......but agree on the very high quality of singers.

Should have been a great reference Puritani with these singers..........
 
#20 ·


From Janacek to Bellini - quite a leap! The Met production with Natalie Dessay (who seems to divide opinions), Juan Diego Flórez and Michele Pertusi, is an absolute winner! Of an opera with an uncredible story, but very enjoyable music, the Met has created something fabulous. I should think this kind of treatment could even win more interest in opera! Of course, if you have trouble with time-shifting, this is not for you. For me, the said treatment even enhances the experience! I will not give everything away, but what we see is a "rehearsal" of the opera in a big studio.

The singers aforementioned are in top form. I have had my misgivings about Dessay from her first CD:s, but here she is marvellous (though looking a bit older than on the cover of her CD Vocalises from 1998). Her voice has gained added warmth and breadth compared to her early recordings, which brought to my mind just another nightingale. And she acts very convincingly for a character as ridiculous as Amina in the original opera and at the same time the modern lady performing the role. This may sound a bit confusing, but I'd rather not reveal more. Suffice it to say that in the end I had tears in my eyes but had to laugh at he same time!
 
#24 ·
I agree with you about the gorgeous singing (particularly JDF) and I think it's the only thing that redeems this. Otherwise I found that the production takes a silly plot and makes it totally incomprehensible. What, no one these days has heard of sleepwalking? And Amina is simultaneously a simple country girl who can't stand up for herself and a mobile-phone toting sunglasses-wearing diva? And everyone is going to get worked up because she fell asleep in the rehearsal room where there was A Man? And then they all shred loads of newspaper (what's that about anyway?).

I'm really glad I watched it on Met Player and didn't buy it!
 
#21 ·
Norma



I have waited for years for a plausible Norma to emerge from somewhere. The role is so associated with Callas that anyone else bold enough to try it has perforce has had to stand the comparison. And there hasn't been anyone to surpass her command, authority and presence, although I don't like her voice at all. Apart from that, she knew what she was doing in every role she sang.

Alas, there is no DVD of her Norma, just Casta Diva from a concert that was televised 1958 (when I was born and couldn't have cared less).

Before this, the best video version was with Montserrat Caballé from Orange on a particularly windy night in the seventies. It has been issued on DVD, but although Monzi is very good and her Adalgisa, Josephine Veasey, too, the circumstances and the audio recording leave a lot to be desired.

Edita Gruberova as Norma is available on DVD, but she is not my cup of tea in this role.

Fiorenza Cedolins is the answer to my prayers. Her Norma comes from Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona. Here we have la sublime donna, as her perfidious lover, Pollione (Vincenzo La Scola), sings in the end. Adalgisa (Sonia Ganassi) is not bad either, but in this opera Norma rules and here she does.

The production is modernized, the Roman soldiers carrying assault rifles, the Gallians wearing balaclavas and so on, but nothing matters, if you have a decent Norma! It's a kind of a mystery to me, why I haven't liked Cedolins at all in her Tosca, Butterfly and Elisabetta (in Don Carlo) - all available on DVD - and all at once she could be my favourite Norma!
 
#22 ·


It breaks my heart that we do not have a winner here............:(

The principal singers are great 9/10
Almost certainly we will never get another chance to have such a greatly talented principal group of singers like this again for Puritani, especially the men are stronger than the Netrebko MET version, the final act duet with JDF and Nino was pure magic. Not only is the singing great but they are very physically attractive group, Nino is a vision of beauty and the men are virile and dashingly handsome.......Mama S will approve

The problem is the production was poorly done, a 3/10
Relentlessly dark dreary monochromatic bare stage production left me very disappointed. Almost everything was in semi shadow, everyone wore dark grey or black clothing.....is this a funeral or Bellini Puritani? How can Nino give a credible mad scence rolling around in darkness on a bare wood floor, tragic waste of talent. Unknown to me conductor was lackluster as well, too slow with little dramatic intensity

I can only imagine what could have been with a more capable production team, as it stands the Netrebko MET blu ray remains the reference for Puritani
 
#23 ·




Spent a week watching these three Normas

First let me say for audio CD set Callas reigns supreme here, no one projects the power and dramatic fury of the druid priestess Norma like Maria.....her love betrayed, her temple defiled, her homeland under oppressive occupation.......there will be blood! (Caballe would rank 2nd on my list but a very distant 2nd)

Gruberova
The obvious problem here is age, Gruberova is obviously too old both visually and from a practical point to have young children and appears older than her father, a fatal flaw in this production. Vocally she is better than you might think but still not good enough, Norma is very difficult vocal part requiring very best assoulta soprano at her peak abilities. I suppose as a tribute to Edita Gruberova some fans may want to collect this, but vocally needed to be done 20+ years ago. The production itself is very good with a modern stage set and far east design motifs blended in, picture quality very good, overall not enough positive this is a sell for me.....

Caballe
Very strong cast of singing talent but a disaster of a 1974 production at ancient Orange outdoor ampitheater make this almost unwatchable for me and only useful as a historical document. First the picture quality is blurry with weak color, the wind is very strong and distracting constantly whipping around clothing.....suprisingly the sound is better than you would expect under these conditions. The fatal flaw is poor lighting conditions with only central singer/singers in bright spotlight and rest of cast and stage in deep shadow almost entire opera a bunch of dark shadows shuffling about.....who knows what was going on there :lol:
This "spotlighting" can be a problem with any large outdoor production but was especially noticeable here

The singers were very strong with Caballe easily better than older Gruberova and Vickers also strong as Pollione, my advice though is just get the much better sounding Norma CD set with Caballe in great voice and skip this expensive flawed DVD, another sell for me



Cedolins
This was easily best DVD of the three for me and the attractive Fiorenza Cedolins best overall Norma for me. She is best actress of this group sometimes giving us a glimpse of how Callas may have performed with more dramatic intensity and overt emotion than other two......but only a glimpse. Her facial expressions and body movements very nicely done and she projects her feelings very well to audience, I was impressed overall.

The production also a big winner, a hybrid modern design that was visually beautiful and well thought out to enhance story line. Sometimes stage action occured on two levels and the whole initial appearance of priestess Norma and Casta Diva ritual sequence was deftly handled, bravo.

Cedolins

Improvements could be had in the areas of Adalgisa and Pollione who were only of average quality, if only they would have consulted me about who to cast here :)
Bottom line is very good Norma (Cedolins) and production is enough to merit an overall winner!
 
#55 ·
http://ecx.images-
[B]Caballe [/B]
Very strong cast of singing talent but a disaster of a 1974 production at ancient Orange outdoor ampitheater make this almost unwatchable for me and only useful as a historical document. First the picture quality is blurry with weak color, the wind is very strong and distracting constantly whipping around clothing.....suprisingly the sound is better than you would expect under these conditions. The fatal flaw is poor lighting conditions with only central singer/singers in bright spotlight and rest of cast and stage in deep shadow almost entire opera a bunch of dark shadows shuffling about.....who knows what was going on there :lol:
This "spotlighting" can be a problem with any large outdoor production but was especially noticeable here

The singers were very strong with Caballe easily better than older Gruberova and Vickers also strong as Pollione, my advice though is just get the much better sounding Norma CD set with Caballe in great voice and skip this expensive flawed DVD, another sell for me

[IMG]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KN24838VL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

overall winner!
I'd still go for the Caballe DVD. Her Norma on the commercial recording is but a pale shadow of what she achieves at Orange, second only to Callas IMO, which, from me, is high praise indeed. No wonder Callas thought of Caballe, rather than Sutherland, as her successor.
 
#25 ·


I agree that the production is lovely and well acted, and Cedolins is visually gorgeous as Norma (far more beautiful than Adalgisa, in fact).

But someone should have told the singers what belcanto means. They seemed to think it's the same as verismo (the Pollione is shocking, barking like a fur seal), and the acting takes precedence over producing a beautiful sound. Casta Diva was severely disappointing, I kept worrying Cedolins was going to run out of breath. Just compare her with Caballe's truly magical rendition and you'll hear what I mean. The only exception is Sonia Ganassi as Adalgisa who does a fine job.

I watched it to the bitter end but I had to keep listening to my CD set with Caballe and Domingo to get a dose of lovely singing.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi on non-commercial DVD

OK, folks, according to reviews the two existing I Capuleti e i Montecchi on commercial DVD are not good. Premiere Opera saved me again, with a very high quality copy that I got for $5, the best one from them I've ever seen. It is filmed with a single camera from the audience, but it is unbelievably good (for a non-commercial DVD, that is) in terms of image and sound. The sound is strong, pure, with no hiss - the only problem is the occasional audience noise, but it is rather discreet. The image is solid with excellent color and definition, and there are no recording defects whatsoever. The amateur cameraman must have had his camera on a tripod because there is no shaking at all, and he points it to the principals and zooms in very appropriately, and also zooms out when needed for the ensemble scenes. Good job, whoever you are!

The performance seems to be in Paris - there is an introduction by a French hostess with typically Parisian accent. No details are given by Premiere Opera but I presume it is the Opéra Bastille (the theater seems to have modern architecture). The conductor is Evelino Pidò (good job). The principals are... guess who? Anna Netrebko!!!!!, with Joyce DiDonato and Matthew Polenzani (a very good American lyric tenor whom I've seen in my local opera company).

What a good surprise when I saw my Anna!!!! She looks gorgeous, skinnier than recently - this must have been some five years ago - and is her usual spectacular self with fine acting and excellent singing. Polenzani does very well too, and Joyce in Romeo's trouser role is in my opinion a little below her usual standard - she seems to yell too much and overacts a little.

The staging is the way I like it best: minimalist, but with no update. It's in traditional costumes reflecting the appropriate era and place (13th century Verona), but the scenario is basically a simple red movable wall that becomes the various rooms depicted in the libretto, with sparse, gray, unadorned furniture. The effect is sober, unobtrusive, and permits focus on the music.

Sound balance in this amateur recording is surprisingly good but at times (rarely) the orchestra smothers the singers (since the cameraman is closer to the orchestra than to the singers).

This may all sound bad to you all, but trust me, it isn't. One simply feels that one is sitting among the audience on a good seat close to the stage, with the advantage of the capacity to zoom in. Like I said, it's pretty good sound and image, and given the weaknesses of the fully featured commercial products, this will do.

One downside - there are, of course, no subtitles. Fortunately I have the full Italian libretto translated into three languages from my CD box set of the opera, featuring Vesselina Kasarova, Eva Mei, Ramon Vargas, and maestro Abbado. Is my CD superior to this amateur DVD in terms of sound? You bet. But the CD doesn't have Anna Netrebko looking gorgeous!!!

The opera, while not being my favorite one by Bellini, is very good and melodic, and in my opinion superior to Gounod's in terms of orchestration and vocal music.

P.S. - There are two commercial DVDs of this opera. One is said to have a very confusing staging with no subtitles, but rather, projections on the walls of the back of the stage with images that are supposed to convey the meaning of the words (!?!) and about 70 scene changes that are very distracting; and the other one, a poorly updated version in which the two families seem to be Mafia families, with guns rather than swords. Both are supposed to have decent singing but nothing extraordinary, so, I'll stick with this non-commercial version with my Anna.
 
#27 ·
Lol

OK, folks, according to reviews the two existing I Capuleti e i Montecchi on commercial DVD are not good. Premiere Opera saved me again, with a very high quality copy that I got for $5, the best one from them I've ever seen. It is filmed with a single camera from the audience, but it is unbelievably good (for a non-commercial DVD, that is) in terms of image and sound. The sound is strong, pure, with no hiss - the only problem is the occasional audience

LOL<

WE have the same and we bought it at the same place. Sometimes their DVDs are really BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD. Newer are better. Try to buy 2000 ===> I bought many unique Janacek (rotten), Schnittke (rotten)... il Barbiere di Seviglia 2005 flawless!

Martin
 
#28 ·


This production has come under heavy fire, both from critics generally and here (I believe MamaScarletti in particular has had sharp words of criticism), and I can completely see where they are coming from. The central conceit really doesn't make much logical sense as the opera-within-an-opera motif falls apart almost immediately under any kind of scrutiny. That said ... I loved it. There are moments of real magic, of breaking the 4th wall in a way that gave me shivers. And while the idea of the production doesn't make logical sense, that wasn't much of a problem for me. One of my favorite directors (and America's greatest living director), David Lynch, took much the same approach with his movie Inland Empire, where if, during the movie, you attempt to analytically decide which parts are taking place in the movie and which parts are in the movie-within-the-movie, you'll be hopelessly out to sea. But that rather misses the point, which is to surrender to the director's vision and just go with it. And while Lynch's movie has a very different tone than this La Sonnambula, I think it is similar in approach.

As I said, there are moments of real magic. The sleepwalking scene through the audience was fab, as was the bit of stage manipulation during Ah Non Credea; the first time seeing it sent a shiver down my spine.

So while I can see and sympathize with those who didn't like this production, if you're willing to turn off your left brain and just go along for the ride I think you'll find it very enjoyable.
 
#32 ·
@rgz, let me challenge you a bit regarding this production. Would you have liked it as much to the point of giving it a pass in spite of the problematic concept, without Natalie Dessay in the cast?
 
#33 ·
It's an interesting question, because I think Ms. Dessay's commitment to the role and the vision for the production (to the point where it is rumored she had a hand in the production herself) certainly helps my enjoyment enormously. But if another soprano was as dedicated to the part -- another good acting singer ala Diana Damrau or even Anna Netrebko -- would I enjoy it? I think so.

In fact, I'm in the middle of a Hoffman right now that has a similarly askew view (specifically, http://www.amazon.com/Offenbach-Con...1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1313115971&sr=1-1 ). And while it features Natalie Dessay, Olympia is of course a much smaller part of Hoffman than Amina is of Sonnambula and so my thus far tremendous enjoyment of this production can't be completely attributed to her. Like the Zimmerman Sonnambula, I can see how traditionalists would hate it; I myself wouldn't want it for my only version of the opera. But it's really a wonderful take on the work.

And while I understand what you said about preferring to surrender to the vision of Bellini, I think there is a large grey area. Consider films adapted from books. 99% of the time they are inferior to the book, but sometimes they are just an interesting alternate take (i.e., The Shining, A Clockwork Orange) and sometimes they even manage to improve on the original (2001, Fight Club).

I won't go so far as to say that Mary Zimmerman "improves" Bellini, but I think it is a valid and interesting approach to the material.
 
#34 ·


Marcello Viotti (2002)

Filippo Maria Visconti - Michael Volle
Beatrice di Tenda - Edita Gruberova
Agnese del Maino - Stefania Kaluza
Orombello - Raúl Hernández

Zurich Opera Orchestra

This is the only Beatrice di Tenda DVD in the market, so it's already a recommendation, as no other option is available.

Gruberova still sings well the role, though there is already some stress on the top notes. Mr. Volle put on a villain face, and is convincing as such, unfortunately he is supposed also to sing in italian. Ms. Kaluza is a solid, though a little bit too mature, Agnese, and Raúl Hernández,... well, he is not a disaster, but he looks like Hardy Har Har looking for Lippy the Lion.

The Bedermeier look of the scenery is out of touch with the historical settings, but is not too cumbersome, and late movie director Daniel Schmid handles well the staging. Good work from Mr. Viotti in the pit.
 
#35 · (Edited)
I got the same one, Schigolch, and I'm watching it now. Michael Volle looks like Jack Nicholson:lol: and his diction in Italian is indeed terrible, I'm not too thrilled with his singing either. I quite like Kaluza's voice but her looks are pretty bad, suspension of disbelief is seriously needed - old, fat, unattractive, she is not easy to swallow as an object of lust. Hernández sings correctly.

You're right, weird choice of scenarios, for an opera that happens in 15th century Milan. In any case, we've seen much worse from Zurich, so I guess this one is OK. This is a beautiful opera, I don't understand why Felice Romani picked a fight with Bellini over it. I agree that Viotti does well.

This production is easier on the ears than on the eyes.

Continuing - Hernández has just botched a high C. Gruberová makes her entrance and does well like you said.

This opera deserves a better DVD than this one, but since there is no competition, I guess the purchase is recommended.
 
#36 ·
Well, it's rather the other way around: Bellini sued Romani because the poet was not able to deliver in time the libretto, and the dates compromised for the premiere were slipping.

It's a case of too much work, and too much confidence, on the side of Romani, and a little bit of overplaying the act for Bellini. In the end, it was a good libretto (though some sections were not even put in music, and remained in virgolato), but the pressure can be noticed in the second act, that is not as great as the first, even when there is also some nice music in it.

Bellini and Romani were on the verge of a reconciliation, when Bellini's death came in the way.
 
#37 ·
But I also read that Romani was angry at Bellini for the choice of subject and wrote some words of protest on the leaflets that were given to patrons the night of the premiere, which enraged Bellini.
 
#38 ·
Romani was all for writing an opera about Cristina, regina di Svezia, but Bellini chose to change the subject after sharing his impression on Beatrice with Giuditta Pasta.

However, Romani was busy working in librettos for Donizetti, Mercadante, Maiocchi and Coccia, Beatrice was progressing very slowly, and, pressed about the contract with La Fenice, Belline decided to sue Romani.

Romani not only prepared some denunciations on the quality of Bellini work, but also published them. You can imagine that Bellini was not precisely enrapted about this.

The reception of the opera was rather cold, with some cries of "Norma, Norma" (perhaps even paid by Romani himself). In her duet with Filippo, the great Pasta stared the public, while she sang her phrase: "se amar non puoi, rispettami", and this brought some peace to the rest of the performance.
 
#39 · (Edited)
That's what puzzles me. It's not Norma, but I found it darn good, musically. So what was Romani going on about, regarding the quality of Bellini's work? It's rather high quality, for me.

I know only five of Bellini's operas, and love them all. I haven't yet encountered an opera by Bellini that I didn't find truly excellent.
 
#40 ·
Romani:

Passò luglio, passò agosto, e corse il
settembre, e venne l'ottobre, e finalmente il
novembre, che quel benedetto argomento non
era ancora trovato. Per soprappiù il Bellini
era sparito. Novello Rinaldo si stava oziando
nell'isola di Armida; né io, per cercarlo,
aveva, come Ubaldo, la barca della Fortuna,
poiché la fortuna era col maestro. Quando
Iddio volle, ei venne fuori; ma il tempo era
passato, e anteriori impegni, che io non poteva
trascurare, mi ponevano nella necessità
di ricusargli Topera mia. Nulla di meno, da
lui pregato e ripregato, e avvezzo con lui a
maggiori sacrifizi, acconsentii di scrivere, e
mi posi a comporre una tragedia lirica intitolata
Cristina di Svezia, Un bel mattino la
Minerva del Bellini desiste dal suo rigore e
gli suggerisce il soggetto. Beatrice di Tenda;
e un altro bel mattino la mia tenerezza pel
Bellini e il mio rispetto per la sua Minerva,
m' impongono il sacrifizio di accettarlo; e lascio
da parte il cominciato lavoro. Melate parole
deir uno, un sospiro dell' altra, calmano
il mio risentimento, e mi chiudo in casa, e
scrivo e riscrivo, e cambio e ricambio, e raffazzono
in mille guise il mio melodramma
fino alla vigilia di andare in iscena, e finalmente
il mio melodramma riesce un libretto

Bellini

Ne sento piacere, e dai giornali di Napoli
veggo che i Palermitani hanno applaudito
questa disgraziata mia opera, che io stesso
poi non credea meritare la sorte che le toccò
a Venezia, ed era che fini estrinseci al
merito dell' opera, aveano indotto quel publico
a disapprovarla al suo comparire. Confesso
che il soggetto è orribile ; ma io, con
la musica, colorendolo ora tremendamente
ed ora mestamente, cercai di correggere e
far scomparire il disgustante che eccita il
carattere di Filippo

Really it was a disgusting fight. The opera was excellent, though it lacked the perfect quality of Norma, due to all the problems between both artists. Given time, both recognized the futility of all this and were prepared to reconciliate.
 
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