Vincenzo Bellini on Stage and Screen, 1935–2020

The history of Vincenzo Bellini’s operas on stage, on screen, and in sound and video art is presented in nine case studies in Bellini on Stage and Screen. The composer’s oeuvre and its staging is evaluated from 1935, when the first biopic of Bellini was released, to 2020, when performance artist Marina Abramovic’s “opera project,” 7 Deaths of Maria Callas, the final scene of which is accompanied by Bellini’s famous aria “Casta Diva,” premiered. Beginning with explorations of recent productions of Bellini’s operas from different perspectives, the book covers stagings of Norma, meanings of La sonnambula in contemporary culture, focusing on seven mises en scène, and an examination of a single production of I Puritani. These studies are a close reading of staging, revealing the importance of interpretation and culture on production. Bellini’s music is discussed in the context of biopics on the composer as well as soundtracks, samples, remixes, and arrangements that all make use of Bellini’s most famous operas. The diverse range of applications of Bellini’s work make for probing reflections on culture, taste, and the music industry.