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''Beatrice di Tenda'' is a tragic opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini, from a libretto by Felice Romani, after the play of the same name by .〔("''Beatrice Tenda'': Tragedia Istorica di Carlo Tedaldi-Fores" ) (1825). Notes and the play, on archive.org 〕 Initially, a play by Alexandre Dumas was chosen as the subject for the opera, but Bellini had reservations about its suitability. After he and Giuditta Pasta (for whom the opera was to be written) had together seen the ballet based on the very different play, Tedaldi-Fores' ''Beatrice Tenda'', in Milan in October 1832, she became enthusiastic about the subject and the composer set about persuading Romani that this was a good idea. Romani, who had his own concerns, the principal one being the close parallels with the story told in Donizetti's ''Anna Bolena'', an opera which had established that composer's success in 1830. Against his better judgment, he finally agreed, although he failed to provide verses for many months. Although unsuccessful at its premiere in Venice in 1833, Bellini felt that he had counteracted the horror of its story "by means of the music, colouring it now tremendously and now sadly".〔Bellini to Santocanale, 11 April 1834, after receiving news of the opera's success in Palermo, in Weinstock 1971, p. 226〕 Later, after hearing of the opera's success in Palermo, Bellini wrote to his Neapolitan friend Francesco Florimo, stating that ''Beatrice'' "was not unworthy of her sisters".〔Bellini to Florimo, 14 June 1834, in Weinstock 1971, p. 226〕 Also, it was Pasta's performances in the title role that overcame the public's hostility to the piece. The opera was Bellini's penultimate work, coming between ''Norma'' (1831) and ''I puritani'' (1835) and it was the only one of his operas to be published in full score in his lifetime. ==Composition history== With the leading role requiring a strong female character to be written for Pasta, composer and librettist met to consider a subject. Much of the initial work fell upon Romani, who had to look at a number of possible sources, but by 6 October, a subject had been agreed upon: it would be ''Christina regina di Svenzia'' from a play by Alexandre Dumas which had appeared in Paris in 1830. However, within a month, Bellini had changed his mind and he was writing to Pasta stating that "the subject has been changed, and we'll write ''Beatrice di Tenda''. I had a hard time persuading Romani, but persuade him I did, and with good reasons. Knowing that the subject pleases you, as you told me the evening when you saw the ballet. He is a man of good will, and I want him to show it also in wanting to prepare at least the first act for me swiftly".〔Bellini to Pasta, 3 November 1832, in Weinstock 1971, p. 125〕 Bellini's expectation that he would promptly receive the first act turned out to be a mistake. His librettist had vastly over-committed himself: by the time that ''Christina'' became ''Beatrice'', he had made commitments to other composers for an October opera, for an opera for La Scala in February 1833, for a Parma production on 26 February, for La Scala on 10 March, and for Florence on 17 March.〔Weinstock 1971, pp. 125—126〕 In spite of Romani's contract deadlines, no progress towards the preparation of the libretto for ''Beatrice'' took place in November. Bellini announced that he would arrive in Venice in early December, but after the 10th, he became preoccupied with rehearsals for his stagings of ''Norma''. However, the lack of any verses—for an opera which was supposed to be given its premiere in the second half of February—caused him to have to take action against Romani. He lodged a complaint with the governor of Venice who then contacted the governor of Milan, who then had his police contact Romani. The librettist finally arrived in Venice on 1 January 1833. He holed up to write Bellini's libretto, but, at the same time, Donizetti was equally incensed at delays in receiving a libretto from Romani for an opera which was to be ''Parisina''. When ''Norma'' opened on 26 December, it was a success but only because of Pasta; the other singers were not well received. This caused Bellini to fear for how ''Beatrice'' would turn out. Writing to his friend Santocanale in Palermo on 12 January, the composer was in despair, complaining of the short time to write his opera: "whose fault is that? that of my usual and original poet, the God of Sloth!"〔Bellini to Santocanale, 12 January 1833, in Weinstock 1971, p. 128〕 Their relationship quickly began to deteriorate: greetings including ''tu'' (the informal "you") gave way to ''voi'' (the formal "you") and they lived in different parts of Venice, unusual when they were working together outside their home city. However, by 14 February, Bellini was reporting that he had only "another three pieces of the (act of the ) opera to do". He still had the second act to set to music.〔Boromé 1961, p. 319〕 On that date he notes to Ferlito that "I hope to go onstage here on 6 March if I am able to finish the opera and prepare it."〔Bellini to Vincenzo Ferlito, 14 February 1833, in Weinstock 1971, pp. 128—129〕 As it turned out, Bellini was only able to prepare the opera for rehearsals by deleting sections of the libretto as well as some of the music for the finale, with the result that Beatrice's final aria had to be borrowed from ''Bianca e Fernando''. (Bellini's sketches of a former duet between Beatrice and Agnese were realized by Vittorio Gui for a series of revivals from the late 1960s.) In order to create more time for Bellini to finish, the La Fenice impresario Lanari padded the programme with older works or revivals, but that allowed only eight days for ''Beatrice'' before the scheduled end of the season. Not surprisingly, the audience having waited so long for the new work, greeted the opening night on 16 March with little enthusiasm, their rejection demonstrated by cries of ''Norma!'' upon hearing Pasta's first aria, ''Ma la sola, oimė! son io, / che penar per lui si veda?'' ("Am I the only one to whom he has brought grief?"), thinking that they heard echoes of the music from the earlier opera. Their indifference was magnified after reading Romani's plea for "the reader's full indulgence" which appeared in the libretto with the suggestion that its faults were not his.〔Romani's apology in the printed libretto, quoted in Weinstock 1971, p. 129〕 But at the following two performances there were large crowds. For Bellini, his opera "was not unworthy of her sisters".〔quoted in Weinstock 1971, pp. 130—131〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Beatrice di Tenda」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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