Andrea Bellini was an Italian

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

tic

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

who had an active career performing in Italy's major

opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...

s from the 1840s through the 1870s. He specialized in the

buffo ''Opera buffa'' (; "comic opera", plural: ''opere buffe'') is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ''commedia in musica'', ''commedia per musica'', ''dramm ...

repertoire and was most often heard in

comprimario A comprimario is a small supporting role in an opera (or a singer who sings those roles). The word is derived from the Italian "''con primario''", or "with the primary", meaning that the ''comprimario'' role (or singer) is not a principal role (or ...

roles.

Career

From 1843 to 1853, 1856–1858, and 1866–1872, Bellini was committed to

La Fenice Teatro La Fenice (, "The Phoenix") is an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of "the most famous and renowned landmarks in the history of Italian theatre" and in the history of opera as a whole. Especially in the 19th century, La Fenice beca ...

in Venice. At that house he performed in several world premieres, including Samuele Levi's ''Giuditta'' (1844, Mindo),

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

's ''

Ernani ''Ernani'' is an operatic ''dramma lirico'' in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the 1830 play ''Hernani (drama), Hernani'' by Victor Hugo. Verdi was commissioned by the Teatro La Fenice in V ...

'' (1844, Jago),

Giovanni Galzerani Giovanni Galzerani (c. 1789 - after 1853) was an Italian choreographer, ballet dancer, and composer who was active in major theatres throughout Italy from 1808 to 1853. He was born in Porto Azzurro on the Isle of Elba and began his education in ...

's ''Giovanna Maillotte'' (1848), Galzerani's ''La vivandiera'' (1848),

Antonio Buzzolla Antonio Buzzolla (2 March 1815 – 20 March 1871) was an Italian composer and conductor. A native of Adria, he studied in Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto ...

's ''Elisabetta di Valois'' (1850, Count di Lerme),

Francesco Malipiero Francesco Malipiero (9 January 1824 - 12 May 1887) was an Italian composer. He was the father of conductor and pianist Luigi Malipiero and the grandfather of composer and musicologist Gian Francesco Malipiero. Trained in Venice, he composed a large ...

's ''Fernando Cortez'' (1851, Don Alfonso), Verdi's ''

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play ''Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had cont ...

'' (1851, Count Ceprano), Giovanni Felis' ''Hermosa'' (1851),

Carlo Ercole Bosoni Carlo Ercole Bosoni (1826-1887) was an Italian composer and conductor. He was active as a conductor at La Fenice in Venice during the 1850s and 1870s. Some of his opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental compon ...

's ''La prigioniera'' (1853, Inigo), Antonio Monticini's ''Aladino'' (1853, Uberto), Verdi's ''

La traviata ''La traviata'' (; ''The Fallen Woman'') is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on ''La Dame aux camélias'' (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas ''fils'' adapted from his own 18 ...

'' (1853, Dottore Grenvil), Verdi's ''

Simon Boccanegra ''Simon Boccanegra'' () is an opera with a prologue and three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the play ''Simón Bocanegra'' (1843) by Antonio García Gutiérrez, whose play ''El trovador'' had been ...

'' (1857, Pietro), and Serafino Amedeo De Ferrari's ''Il matrimonio per concorso'' (1858, Anselmo). He sang at the

Teatro Regio di Parma Teatro Regio di Parma, originally constructed as the Nuovo Teatro Ducale (New Ducal Theatre),Martini, "Before the Teatro Regio", pp. 56 is an opera house and opera company in Parma, Italy. Replacing an obsolete house, the new Ducale achieved pro ...

in 1854–1855. He also worked as a guest artist at the

Teatro di San Carlo The Real Teatro di San Carlo ("Royal Theatre of Saint Charles"), as originally named by the Bourbon monarchy but today known simply as the Teatro (di) San Carlo, is an opera house in Naples, Italy, connected to the Royal Palace and adjacent t ...

in Naples.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bellini, Andrea Italian opera singers Operatic basses Year of death missing Year of birth missing