Met Opera will present Bellini and Donizetti, 19th-century Italian. Bellini was a poet of melody, writing long, flowing lines over a restrained orchestra to express emotion and psychology to the fullest. La sonnambula (The Sleepwalker) exemplifies his style, where the melody drives the story and conveys lyricism and psychological depth. Donizetti, by contrast, was prolific across comedy and tragedy, blending melodic beauty with dramatic development and insight, condensing the flow of the story into the music. In La fille du régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment), he skillfully uses coloratura, choruses, and modulations to vividly depict comedic situations and romantic conflicts, merging melody and drama. After savoring Bellini’s poetic melodies, audiences can enjoy the theatrical drama that Donizetti created a decade later.
Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835) was born in Sicily and died at 34. He left just over ten operas and was called a poet of melody, pursuing melodic beauty above all else. His works feature restrained orchestration that maximizes the voice, and his melodies emphasize psychological expression, requiring singers to perform extremely long phrases in pursuit of pure melodic beauty. His dramas unfold within the poetic realm of the melody itself, which becomes the driving force of the story. His melodies are balanced and imbued with classical beauty, harmonies are transparent and straightforward, and intentional monotony preserves the purity of the melody, giving listeners the impression of “dreamlike” or “eternal” song, placing melody itself at the core of artistic expression.
La sonnambula (The Sleepwalker) premiered in Milan in 1831. Set in a Swiss village, the story centers on the pure love between the village girl Amina and the young man Elvino. On the night of a celebration, the sleepwalking Amina unknowingly enters the room of a traveler, Rodolfo, causing the villagers to suspect her of infidelity and putting her engagement to Elvino at risk. Amina’s innocence is not immediately recognized, but when the villagers witness her crossing a bridge while sleepwalking again, they realize her purity and the misunderstanding is resolved.
Bellini’s long, flowing melodic lines shine throughout. Amina’s aria, “Ah! non credea mirarti,” and the finale, “Ah! non giunge,” showcase the full lyricism and vocal virtuosity of bel canto, combining soft legato with dazzling coloratura. Pastoral choruses and dances depict the village’s simple and serene atmosphere, while in the sleepwalking scenes, ethereal melodies and delicate accompaniment convey her unconscious state.
Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) was born in Bergamo, northern Italy, and composed about 70 operas during his lifetime. He mastered a wide range of genres, from comedy to tragedy. Building on the bel canto style, he enhanced dramatic development, serving as a bridge to Verdi. His music condenses dramatic tension and human passion, depicting a wide variety of emotions, with a focus on theatrical drama that drives the story, linking melody and psychology to engage the audience in the flow of tension and emotion.
La fille du régiment (The Daughter of the Regiment) premiered in 1840 at the Paris Opéra-Comique and is a masterpiece of opera comique, where melodic beauty and dramatic drive are perfectly fused. Set in the countryside after the French Revolution, it tells the story of Marie, who was found and raised by soldiers as a baby, and her love for the young man Tonio from the neighboring village. When Marie is revealed to be a noblewoman and faces separation, she overcomes these obstacles and is ultimately reunited with Tonio. In her aria “Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête!” the coloratura conveys her joy and excitement, while choruses and the soldiers’ comic antics ensure smooth narrative flow. Donizetti also employs harmonic progressions and modulations to heighten tension in scenes of romantic conflict, tightly integrating drama and music. His work is grounded in bel canto melodic beauty while vividly portraying comedy and romantic obstacles through music.
旋律のベッリーニ 劇情のドニゼッティ
この秋、メットオペラでベッリーニとドニゼッティのオペラが公演される。ベッリーニは旋律の詩人。抑制されたオーケストラに長く流麗な旋律を載せ心理や感情を極限まで描き出す。夢遊病の女（La sonnambula）は旋律が物語り、抒情と心理を表現する。ドニゼッティは、喜劇から悲劇まで多作で、旋律美に劇展開と心理描写を加え流れを音楽に凝縮させた。連隊の娘（La fille du régiment）は、コロラトゥーラの旋律や合唱、転調を駆使し、喜劇と恋愛の葛藤が鮮やかに描かれた旋律とドラマの融合。ベッリーニの旋律の詩を味わった後で、10年後に書いたドニゼッティのドラマを楽しみたい。
ヴィンチェンツォ・ベッリーニ（1801–1835）シチリア島出身。34歳で早世。生涯に残したオペラは十作余りで、旋律美を追求した旋律の詩人。抑制されたオーケストラに声楽を最大に引き立てる構造が特徴。彼の旋律は心理表現を重視しており、歌手には極めて長いフレーズを歌わせ、純粋に旋律美を追求する。ドラマは旋律に包まれた詩の中で進行し、旋律自体が物語の推進力となる。旋律は均整が取れ、古典の美を湛え、和声はシンプルで透明に保たれている。あえて単調さを残すことで旋律の純度を高め、聴く者に「夢幻」や「永遠の歌」の印象を与え旋律そのものを芸術の核心に据えた、純粋な詩の世界。
夢遊病の女（La sonnambula）1831年にミラノで初演。スイスの田舎で、村娘アミーナと青年エルヴィーノの純愛を中心に展開。祝宴の夜、夢遊病のアミーナが無意識に旅人ロドルフォの部屋に入ったことから、村人たちは彼女の不貞を疑い、エルヴィーノとの婚約は危うくなる。アミーナの無実はすぐには理解されないが、再び夢遊状態で村の橋を渡る姿を目撃した村人たちが彼女の純真を悟り、誤解は解ける。
ベッリーニの長く流麗な旋律線が随所に光る。アミーナのアリア「Ah! non credea mirarti」やフィナーレ「Ah! non giunge」では、ベルカントの抒情美と声楽技巧を発揮。柔らかなレガートと華やかなコロラトゥーラが融合する。また、田園の合唱や舞曲では、村の素朴で穏やかな雰囲気が描かれ、夢遊病の場面では漂うような旋律と繊細な伴奏が無意識状態を表現する。
ガエターノ・ドニゼッティ（Gaetano Donizetti, 1797–1848）北イタリア・ベルガモ出身。生涯に約70作のオペラを作曲。喜劇から悲劇まで多様なジャンルを制覇。ベルカント様式を基盤に劇展開を強め、ヴェルディへの橋渡しとなった。場面の緊張や人間の激情を音楽に凝縮し多彩な感情を描く。劇場でのドラマを推進する力を中心に据え、旋律と心理を直結させ物語の緊張と感情の流れに引き込む。
連隊の娘（La fille du régiment）1840年にパリ・オペラ・コミックで初演。旋律美とドラマの推進力が融合したオペラ・コミックの傑作。フランス革命後の田舎で、赤ん坊の頃に兵士たちに拾われて育ったマリーと、隣村の青年トニオの恋愛物語。マリーが実は貴族の娘であることが判明し、引き離されそうになるなどの障害を経て、最終的に結ばれる。マリーのアリア「Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête!」では、コロラトゥーラを伴う旋律が喜びや興奮を鮮明に伝え、合唱や兵士たちのコミカルな喜劇が物語をスムーズに展開。さらに、和声進行や転調を巧みに用いて恋愛の障害や葛藤を加えドラマと音楽を密接に結びつけた。