Il pirata
| Il pirata | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Vincenzo Bellini | |
Rubini as Gualtiero in the premiere production
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| Librettist | Felice Romani |
| Language | Italian |
| Premiere | 17 October 1827 Teatro alla Scala, Milan |
Il pirata (The Pirate) is an opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani which was based on a three-act mélodrame from 1826, Bertram, ou le Pirate (Bertram, or The Pirate) by Charles Nodier and "Raimonde" (actually Isidore Justin Séverin Taylor). However, this play was itself based upon a French translation of the "five-act verse tragedy" Bertram, or The Castle of St Aldobrando by Charles Maturin which appeared in London in 1816.
The original play has been compared with Bellini's opera and the influence of Il pirata on Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor has been noted. Also, Bellini's recycling of his own music in this opera has been analyzed, as well as his utilizing "a more self-consciously innovative compositional style" and participating more in work on the libretto, as compared with prior efforts where he was more deferential to the librettists chosen by the Naples opera management and the corresponding texts. In addition, 19th-century commentary refers to the musical influence of Il pirata on the early Richard Wagner opera Das Liebesverbot
Bellini in Milan
Bellini spent 1827 to 1833 mostly in Milan, never holding any official position within an opera company and living solely from the income produced from his compositions, for which he was able to ask higher than usual fees.
Upon his arrival, he met Antonio Villa of La Scala and composer Saverio Mercadante whose new opera, Il Montanaro was in rehearsal. The latter introduced him to Francesco and Marianna Pollini (an older couple, the husband a retired professor of piano, the wife a better-than-amateur musician) who immediately took the young man under their wing.
In addition, Bellini was introduced to the librettist Felice Romani, who proposed the subject of the composer’s first project, Il pirata, to which the young man willingly agreed, especially after he realised that the story "provided several passionate and dramatic situations.. [and]..that such Romantic characters were then an innovation on the operatic stage." From that time forward, there began a strong professional relationship with Romani; he became Bellini’s primary creative partner, providing the librettos for six of Bellini’s operas which followed, the result being that "no other Italian opera composer of the time showed such an attachment to a single librettist". Although Romani was known to treat composers poorly, he evidently had great respect for Bellini, even acceding to his requests for revisions. For his part, Bellini admired "the sonorous and elegance of the poet's verses"
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