Milano, 12 maggio 1828
Mio caro Florimo
Mi dici, nell’ultima tua, che da qualche tempo trascuro di rispondere alle tue di capitolo in capitolo: per me, credo d’aver risposto a tutto quello che risposta chiedea; ma forse mi è sfuggito qualche capitolo di quei che tu ne bramavi riscontro; e d’ora innanzi mi metterò la tua d’innanzi ed a tutto risponderò senza eccezzione. Sento che ogni settimana passi de’ giorni a S. Jorio a far compagnia al bravo Duca che da mia parte saluterai in uno alla Duchessa e fam:a = Io ho incominciato i miei studii giornalieri, e par che non vadano male, perché ho composto qualche bella frase, che diventerà in grande secondo il pezzo che le toccherà. – Salutami e ringrazia tutti quei che godono nei nostri contenti. – Dai
Il tuo Bellini che t’ama assai
Addio
Milano 12: maggio 1828:
PS.
Ho ricevuto due lettere della
Al Sig:r
II Sig:r D:n Francesco Florimo
nel real collegio di musica in
Napoli
t.p. milano […] - nap 1828 | 10 mag
39
10.
Milan, 12 May 1828
Vincenzo Bellini to Francesco Florimo. Letter.
Aut. I-Nc, Rari 1.9.10 (45). One bifolio, three sides plus address and seal in red wax on the verso.
Ed. Florimo 1882, pp. 334-335 (partial transcription); Cambi 1943, pp. 92-95; Neri 2005, pp. 72-74.
My dear Florimo
You say in your latest letter that for some time now I've neglected to respond to each and every one of the issues you address. As far as I can recall I thought I'd answered everything you asked, but perhaps I missed something, so from now on I'll keep your letter in front of me and respond to everything without exception. I see that you're spending a few days every week in S. Jorio visiting the good Duca, whom you must greet for me together with the Duchessa and family. - I've begun my daily studies and they seem to be going well, since I've come up with some attractive phrases I can eventually develop according to where they'll be used. - My salutations and thanks to all those who share in our happiness. - The Pollinis are as kind as ever, and I've resumed the life I led with them before going to Genoa. - Keep this to yourself, but yesterday Conte Gritti of Venice told me he had received letters from some fellow citizens charging him to speak with the impresarios coming to work for that theatre so that they might offer me a contract right away, as soon as they've signed the plan that a certain Crivelli has proposed to the city. I'd be happy to write for Venice's Carnival season with Turin out of the picture, given that it's a highly respectable venue for launching an opera — but enough, let's wait and see if they hire a good company of singers and if they'll pay me well. - Lablache has arrived, and Il matrimonio segreto opens on Saturday. - See how it's absolutely certain Lalande will be there on 4 October, since I've heard Barbaja has agreed to let her recuperate from her illness in that milder climate. This means that if Rubini were to remain the production of Il pirata could be postponed, because Lablache insists that if Comelli does it in Naples they'll make mincemeat of her, and that Vienna put up with her only because of the music and out of deference to Rubini. In any case, do whatever it takes to see that at least they give it to Tosi if it's not possible to do it with Lalande. Should Tamburini be singing, I'd say to insert the new cabaletta that I wrote for Bianca e Fernando in the cavatina, since he only replaced the cabaletta in Vienna. Then I'll write a scena for him without changing the duetto — which would be a shame to cut and I think Tosi would sing it — whereas if it's Lalande I'll have the scena end there. - Thanks as always for your heads-up, which I've taken to heart, though I'm determined to stand my ground on everything as long as my youthful tenacity can sustain me. - Tell Crescentini, to whom I send my most cordial greetings, that the business over Adelaide's scena was a tempest in a teapot, and that I have no idea how news of it got around Naples. Simply put, she'd gone to the music director, Marchese Grimaldi, because she didn't want to sing the cabaletta of the scena and I had absolutely no desire to change it, but he was so taken with the piece that he didn't say a word to me. Then, after it was even more successful than I'd anticipated, perhaps he said something and the rumor took off from there. Tosi, who meanwhile received an unbelievable amount of applause for that scena because she sings and performs it like an angel, admitted with a laugh that she hardly imagined what an enormous pleasure it would be to sing once she understood what the dramatic situation required. So without the slightest unpleasantness between the two of us beyond a brief spat with no hint of hostility, which is only demoralizing, the performance came off wonderfully and the whole affair concluded quite happily after that. - Make sure that the aforementioned gentleman reads this [...] article, understood? Let me know if you've received the copies of Pirata that I sent you via Rome from Porretti, and if you got that letter where I told you how the Duchessa Litta presented me with a gold watch and chain, etc. etc. - Tell me also whether you've left the score of Adelson with Barbaja. - As soon as you have the opportunity, please send me all of the most dramatically powerful opera libretti there are to be had, ones that I could repurpose if they weren't conceived for a more traditional style of music. Meanwhile send me the tragedy that Tottola is preparing for Conti, and then as always whatever interesting plays or novels you find, etc. etc. - I'm happy to hear you're doing well. Give my salutations to our Sig. Director Headmaster and all of our friends, including the Sig.ri Andreani whom you have not mentioned for some time. With that, remember me fondly and write to me, because there have been no letters from you in the past two deliveries, and believe me
Your most affectionate Bellini
Farewell
Milan 12 May 1828
P.S.
I've received two letters from Fumaroli that were sent to me in Genoa but arrived too late, and then forwarded to me here. I think I won't respond, or I'll send my answer to you. -
To Sig.
Sig. Don Francesco Florimo
in the Real Collegio di Musica
Naples
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