Premiere: Théâtre Italien, Paris, 1835
The gorgeous and vocally challenging I Puritani was the final work from Vincenzo Bellini, the great Sicilian exponent of the bel canto style of opera. The plot has for a long time been singled out as among the most unlikely in opera, but, then, the art of bel canto does not necessarily require well-constructed and logical narrative. I Puritani’s depiction of madness—both in individuals and in communities—is extraordinary. The work suggests that the veneer of sanity can slip away at any moment, plunging a person into a destructive abyss. I Puritani was written specifically for the talents of four of the most celebrated singers of its day, and the opera’s subsequent popularity has varied greatly depending on the abilities of the performers who have appeared in it. The opera tends to suffer in the public esteem when performers and audiences view bel canto as nothing more than an excuse for vocal pyrotechnics. Great artists, however, periodically rediscover the latent dramatic and musical power of Bellini’s achievement in this work, and in fact Maria Callas was catapulted to international stardom by a series of performances in I Puritani in 1949.

The Creators
Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835) achieved success in Naples and Milan with melodically inventive and exciting operas such as Il Pirata and Norma. I Puritani was his first venture outside of Italy. His premature death just at the point of international success and new artistic development is one of the most unfortunate in the history of music. Count Carlo Pepoli (1796–1881) was an Italian political exile living among the seething expatriate circles of Paris. He was perhaps not the most inspired poet, but he understood well the conventions and needs of the contemporary lyric theater. The libretto was based on a French play, Têtes Rondes et Cavaliers, which had its own rather arcane source, a novel by Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832), Old Mortality.

The Setting
The opera is set in the English Civil War of Puritans (Roundheads) versus Royalists (Cavaliers). While many English-speaking critics have been amused at Bellini’s rollicking depiction of the austere Roundheads, the opera was never intended as a history lesson. The important issue in the setting is the horrendous background of civil strife, which was quite familiar to Italians in Bellini’s time. The idea of civil discord as an analog to individual insanity was one that the bel canto composers explored with unique insight: Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor works with a similar, if slightly less explicit, paradigm.

The Music
Too often, bel canto is explained as a succession of vocal gymnastics. On the contrary, the basis of bel canto are long lyric lines of melody, such as in the tenor’s elegant Act I romanza that develops into the opera’s celebrated quartet, “A te o cara.” The soprano’s ravishing Act II aria “Qui la voce” functions similarly, and depends entirely on the singer’s ability to spin forth an elegant vocal line. The occasional outbursts of vocal prowess (such as the soprano’s subsequent “Vien diletto” and the Act III duet and ensemble with high Ds and even a high F for the tenor) have an enormous impact if the entire score has been given careful attention. No critic has been able to denigrate Bellini’s unique mastery of melody, as in the rousing martial duet “Suoni la tromba” in Act II. Even the bass Girogio gets a gorgeous bel canto showpiece: “Cinta di fiori” in Act II. Great performers make this art form come alive fully, transforming it into more than merely the “beautiful singing” of the genre’s name.

I Puritani at the Met
I Puritani had a single performance in the inaugural 1883-84 season, as a vehicle for the star soprano Marcella Sembrich. It wasn’t revived until 1918, when it showcased the talents of soprano Maria Barrientos. After six performances, I Puritani disappeared until it was brought back for a series of remarkable performances with Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, and James Morris in 1976, with Richard Bonynge conducting. I Puritani was heard again in 1986 to celebrate Sutherland’s 25th anniversary with the company. Edita Gruberova and Stanford Olsen starred in a revival of the work in 1991, as did Ruth Ann Swenson and Stuart Neill in 1997.