Vincenzo Bellini          

And His Abruzzan Origin

by Ettore Moschino

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Extract from the BULLETIN of the Royal Abruzzan Deputation

of Italian History, year 24, series IV, Volume V, 1935

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(……illegible…..)

AQUILA

TYPOGRAPHIC OFFICE AQUILANE

IRTI & RAINALDI

1940 -XVIII

Vincenzo Bellini[*]

And His Abruzzan Origin
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 The present age is favourable to great commemorations. Every part of Italy, every City, remembers with various cultural exhibitions, its greatest sons, lost in the glory of arts, science, religion or under arms. The celebrations in the Marche were barely over when – always by the will of the Chief[1] – the “Year of Bellini” began, which ends in September of this year (1935), falling precisely on the centenary of Vincenzo Bellini’s death. A National Committee has already put forward a vast programme of public tributes, and the most illustrious theatres both on the peninsula and in Sicily have already played and will yet perform the Master’s works with great solemnity. Not all of them, however: not the Adelson e Salvini, the first he wrote – at 24 years of age – nor the Bianca e Fernando which followed a year later, nor the la Straniera (The Stranger) dating to 1829 performed at the “Scala” Milan, nor the Zaira from that same year.

These works are amongst the least lively by the great Composer. It is not worth bringing them to light again.

There is no reason other than blind curiosity to induce us to celebrate the lesser productions of those of high genius. It is one thing for scholars, who seek to surprise the spiritual and formal evolution of a genius, and quite another to present immature products to the public for summary judgement.