Milano, [dopo l’11 marzo] 1828
Mio caro Florimo = Ancora mi trovo in questa, e quel maledettissimo
Il tuo Bellini che
t’ama
Al Sig:r D:n Francesco Florimo
nel real collegio di Musica
in
Napoli
t.p. milano […] - nap 1828 | 20 mar
26
6.
Milan, [after 11 March] 1828
Vincenzo Bellini to Francesco Florimo. Letter.
Aut. I-Nc, Rari 1.9.10 (57). One folio, two sides with address on the verso.
Ed. Florimo 1882, pp. 307-309; Cambi 1943, pp. 63-65; Neri 2005, pp. 55-56.
My dear Florimo - I'm still here, and that cursed Romani has yet to appear; we're hoping he'll arrive this evening on the coach from Venice. Morlacchi is already at work, leaving Sig. Pacini looking like a bumbling idiot once again after spreading the rumor that Morlacchi wouldn't come and suggesting that he instead would be writing something for Genoa for the end of June. I'm enclosing the newspapers refuting the malicious gossip that Pirata was a fiasco in Vienna, which came from some letters written before the first performance on the 28th of last month already declaring it a disaster; but the truth, thanks to the testimony of various travelers and German officials who were present for the first two performances, reached many gentlemen in Milan, thoroughly crushing the jealous efforts of those who are now forced to eat their words. We're waiting for the arrival of the German newspapers, which I hope will drive those scoundrels even deeper into the depths of despair. Meanwhile four Milanese newspapers have attested to the opera's success, of which I'm sending along only the two most authoritative, that is, the official Gazzetta, and I teatri, the latter containing a retraction of its own report in the previous issue that Il pirata was retired after the first night. - As for the music I'm revising, I can report that I've now done the largo and the cabaletta of the new cavatina for Tosi, which is already orchestrated while I wait for Romani to give me better text for some of the weaker passages I was originally forced to use. I like this piece, especially the largo, which is based on Ruggi's solo that I'm removing from the second act. I also finished the scena for David, which promises to be quite effective if he can manage to sing it. All that remains to be done, therefore, is an introductory chorus for David's scena and the short choral interventions in both pieces, and finally Tosi's scena for which I've already got my ideas prepared. Once Romani comes, then, I can put all this together and finish the opera in three days. If he arrives tonight as hoped, I'll be able to finish the scena for David and then depart immediately for Genoa, leaving as early as Saturday or Monday at the latest, right? — and still get to Genoa six days before the three principal singers arrive. I've collected many letters of introduction to take with me from the most influential families here. My health is holding up despite how much I've had to work these days — just imagine, in one morning alone I wrote for ten straight hours, from six o'clock until four in the afternoon. Here's hoping you too are well! I'm sorry I can't expect to receive any more letters from you here, but there will certainly be many waiting for me in Genoa. Farewell my dear Florimo. Let's hope my revisions will leave our enemies with little reason to laugh, right? A fond embrace to you, and my salutations to Zingarelli, and the headmaster, and all of our friends.
Farewell
from Bellini who
remains your devoted friend
To Sig. Don Francesco Florimo
in the Real Collegio di Musica
in
Naples
postmark Milan [...] - nap |1828 |20 March