Aut.
Ed.
Milano, [dopo il 16 agosto 1828]
Mio caro Florimo - Pare che tanto
57
11.
Milan, [after 16 August 1828]
Vincenzo Bellini to Francesco Florimo. Letter.
Aut. I-Nc, Rari 4.3.6 (2). One bifolio, four sides (incomplete).
Ed. Andrea della Corte, "Intorno a Bellini", Pan. Rassegna di lettere, arte e musica, iii/11, (November 1935), pp. 384-408: 396-398; Cambi 1943, pp. 146-147; Neri 2005, pp. 98-100.
My dear Florimo - It would seem that Romani, Pollini, and I all tend to favor L'Étrangère by d'Arlincourt, as you yourself suggested in one of your letters. Romani won't follow the play at all but rather gather nearly all of the best dramatic situations from the novel, which is to say (and not a word of this to anyone, so that some other poet doesn't get the same idea): Artur's arrival on the island of Montolino - the encounter between Artur and the Straniera at the fountain - Valdebourgo's recognition of the Straniera as his sister and the duel with Artur - the trial - the wedding - and the deaths of Artur and the Straniera - All of this will be divided into perhaps four very short acts to create a realistic sequence of events and locations. Romani is thoroughly immersed in the project, but he says that not having a good tenor for the part of Artur will be a serious issue, since he'll then be forced to give the part of Artur to Tamburini, the part of the Straniera to Lalande, that of Isoletta to Unger, the part of Valdeburgo (which is extremely interesting) to Reina unless Rubini comes, in which case it would go to Tamburini, that of Montolino to a second bass, and the part of the Abate di S. Irene to Biondini. If Rubini comes then I have every reason to believe that success is certain, since the subject abounds in entirely new and grandiose situations; but without Rubini I am lost. You should never have sought Cottrau's counsel about approaching Barbaja but rather gone to him directly and without any hesitation, possibly helping him obtain permission from the court for Rubini to come for only two months to La Scala. Now, with so much time lost, it all seems nearly impossible, and I'll be left to suffer the damage. You've got to convince yourself once and for all that if someone acts within the bounds of decorum he need not be cautious of speaking those truths that do not compromise his sense of honor and delicacy, such as saying that Winter is not welcome here, which is neither criminal nor irresponsible. Yet all of these high and mighty singers have no regard for the poor composers, and rest assured that scoundrels will invent what they want whether you say anything or not, and that he who is not on his guard will always be the worse for it. Therefore, without betraying the mores of a virtuous education, always think of yourself— or rather, we should always look after our own interests and ignore what others may say. As proof you need only remember those many great men whom we've all but worshipped, destroyed by slander and left to end their days on a handful of straw. The world is mean and full of selfishness; and while we must not be so, we nonetheless have to remain careful and vigilant, helping one another diligently and honorably and thereby succeeding in all that we desire. Just consider the fact that since I've been here I have always spoken well of Pacini and he's been very grateful, as is evident from what he wrote to his father, etc. etc. On the other hand, I've done nothing to Tamburini, yet you know what he says about me. And because I was unable to defend Winter in the face of public opinion here in Milan, he considers me his enemy. Then there's Raimondi, to whom I did nothing, and you see what he goes around saying about me, as will many, many others. Therefore, given that our enemies always speak badly whether I've done well or not, and that even when we try to push back their aspersions continue all the same while we're the ones who've gone to the devil, don't listen to what they tell you: just keep going, working with conviction and making every possible effort to ensure the success of our endeavors. Our ambitions rob no one of his bread or his honor, so have no fear of moving ahead in this way. Everyone is ready to criticize us, yet they would manage their own affairs no differently than we do despite their disapproval. Just think of Macchiavelli from time to time, and remember that we too can undertake whatever grand project we want without resorting to villainy