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Opera Explained: Bellini - La Sonnambula (Smillie)

5/18/2009, 14 Tracks, 1:18:59

Featuring

  • David Timson
  • Miscellaneous

Did you know?

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Bellini was a prime example of the bel canto school of composers, known for his pure, limpid melodies and long legato lines that allow singers to shine.

Source: Booklet

Critical Reception

Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland were instrumental in reviving modern interest in serious bel canto operas, including "La sonnambula", despite initial critical scorn for their improbable plots.

Source: Booklet

Compositional Technique

One aria in Bellini's "La sonnambula" features a tune that runs for an uninterrupted thirty-six bars, requiring exceptional breath control from the singer.

Source: Booklet

Album & Artwork

This album is part of the "Opera Explained" audiobook series, which introduces the plot and background of major operas using themes and arias from Naxos recordings.

Source: Booklet

Composer's Artistic Vision

For bel canto operas like "La sonnambula", the beauty of the singing itself is the central message, with technical skill and purity of vocal delivery expressing the work's heart and soul.

Source: Booklet

Composer Biography

Vincenzo Bellini, the composer of "La sonnambula", was born in 1801 in Catania, Sicily, and died a few weeks before his thirty-fourth birthday.

Source: Booklet

Composition History

"La sonnambula" was written by Bellini as a vehicle for two supreme singers of his age, making it a fine example of the bel canto style.

Source: Booklet

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