Product Description
Today痴 audiences often find it difficult to comprehend what makes Vincenzo Bellini痴 operas remarkable. Works like Beatrice di Tenda were not rediscovered and staged until the second half of the 20th century. Bellini's credo was, "I want to move to tears�.". This sympathetic treatment of the text led his contemporaries to describe Bellini痴 music as 素ilosofica�. Even Richard Wagner acknowledged this when he said, "Bellini痴 music comes from the heart and closely follows the text". The premiere of the opera was given at the Teatro la Fenice in Venice on 16 March 1873 and was an abysmal failure. Shouts of "Norma! Norma!" were heard from the gallery, which was a clear indication that the audience missed the belcanto style in Beatrice di Tenda. In his new opera Bellini did not continue, as he did in Norma, with the virtuosity and coloratura artistry of the voices but explored a new way of musical expression, which brought to the fore a new warmth and different characteristics. Although Beatrice di Tenda is not one of Bellini痴 most successful operas, the title role is a popular showpiece among sopranos. Special features include an interview with Marcello Viotti.