Editing Vincenzo Bellini (section)

=== ''Zaira'': a setback in Parma ===
[[File:Teatro regio.jpg|thumb|The Nuovo Teatro Ducale in 1829]]
[[File:Teatro Regio Parma Apertura.jpg|thumb|Poster for Nuovo's opening night]]
''[[Zaira (opera)|Zaira]]'' was the opera which came into being following discussions with Barbaja in Milan in June 1828 for a second opera for La Scala. At around the same time, Bellini reported to Florimo that he had been approached by Merelli about writing an inaugural opera for the soon-to-be completed Teatro Ducale (now the [[Teatro Regio (Parma)|Teatro Regio]]) in Parma which was due to open during the following year<ref name=WEIN55/> on 12 May 1829.<ref name="Holden">{{harvnb|Kimbell|2001|p=49}}</ref> Initially, the opera was to be ''Carlo di Borgogna'', but composer and librettist decided to tackle "a drama so&nbsp;... hallowed as [[Voltaire]]'s ''[[Zaïre (play)|Zaïre]]''",{{sfn|Weinstock|1971|p=75}} but this proved to be more challenging for Romani than first imagined.

With this opera, Bellini encountered "the first serious setback of a hitherto brilliant career".<ref name="Holden"/> Several reasons have been put forward: [[Friedrich Lippmann (musicologist)|Lippmann]] and McGuire note, it was because "Bellini showed too little enthusiasm for the undertaking".<ref name=L&M390/> Another writer attributes it to Parma's traditional love of and favouritism towards the music of [[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini]],<ref name="Holden"/> while yet another notes that a combination of the composer being constantly seen in cafes around the city (when it was assumed that he should have been composing) and the fact that Romani had included a long explanation of the difficulties of adapting Voltaire in the printed libretto provided to all operagoers. The librettist was critical of his own work: "the style should have been more careful, and that here and there, certain repetitions of phrases and concepts should have been edited out". At the same time, he stated that, with music composed to those verses now in place, "I was not permitted to go back over what already had been done; and poetry and music were finished in less than a month".<ref>Felice Romani's ''Promio dell'autore'', in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=76}}</ref><ref name="Lippmann">Friedrich Lippmann, (Trans. T. A. Shaw) "''Ziara'' Yesterday and Today" in booklet accompanying the Nuevo Era recording.</ref> This short period of time compares to the months which, for example, it took Bellini to write ''Il pirata''.

In fact, Bellini arrived in Parma on 17 March giving him 56 days before the opening, but he then learned that some of the singers would only arrive 14 days before the date of the premiere, a date that was—in theory— unchangeable. In fact, it had to be changed due to the inability of Lalande to arrive in time for sufficient rehearsal. Both composer and librettist were somewhat dilatory, delaying work as much and as long as possible. Count Sanvitale's request on 17 April, asking "to let me know the reasons why our copyists are kept idle", did not receive much of response to satisfy the theatre's management.<ref name=GALA147>{{harvnb|Galatopoulos|2002|pp=147–150}}</ref> Eventually, both men got down to work and finished on time, although the premiere was delayed by four days.

The general impression given by reports in the press was that, overall, the music was weak, although some numbers and the trio were liked. However, for the most part, the singers were applauded, even if the composer received little. The opera received eight performances, followed by some poorly received ones in Florence in 1836, and then it disappeared until 1976.{{sfn|Galatopoulos|2002|pp=150–151}}