Editing Vincenzo Bellini (section)

====The relationship begins to be repaired====
Having been invited to write a new opera for the San Carlo for the 1834–35 Carnival season, but declined because of his Paris commitment, he stated that May 1835 might be possible when he knew who were to be the contracted singers. Florimo immediately began to try to persuade his friend, indicating that Malibran had been engaged for Naples in January 1835. Continuing his letter to Florimo, he states:
<blockquote>why the Management&nbsp;... doesn't make a contract with Romani; not just for one libretto, but by the year&nbsp;... with the understanding that he come to live in Naples; thus he could write the libretto for me as the only poet attached to the theatre, and if they want to negotiate with him, they can commission me to arrange it; I'd like to return good for evil to that wrongheaded and very talented man&nbsp;...<ref name=WEIN160>Bellini to Florimo, 11 March 1834, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=160–161}}</ref></blockquote>

From that statement of March 1834, it does not appear that animosity still existed on the composer's part. Through an intermediary, Bordesi (or Bordese), a mutual friend of both men, Romani initially expressed interest in re-establishing friendly relations with Bellini. Thus, Bellini wrote back to the intermediary stating: "Tell my dear Romani that I still love him even though he is a cruel man" and he continues by wondering if Romani ever thinks about him where he, Bellini, says "whereas I do nothing but to talk about him to the entire universe". Then he ends with: "Give him a kiss for me".<ref>Bellini to Bordese, 11 June 1834, a letter published by Antonino Amore in 1894 (in addition to a draft of Bellini's unsent letter to Romani), in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=166–167}}</ref> This was followed by a letter to Florimo in late May where Bellini wishes to know if Romani reciprocated his feelings, which—it appears—did happen when he writes to Romani himself (most likely expansion of the initial draft) laying out a series of concerns, but quoting back to him a part of his own letter to Bordese in which Romani states "I have not ceased to love him [Bellini], for I recognise that the blame is not all his".<ref name=WEIN167>Romani being quoted in the letter from Bellini to Romani, 29 May 1834, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|p=167}}</ref>

In conclusion, Bellini suggests "draw[ing] a veil over everything that happened", stating that he cannot come to Milan at this time but, since he was planning to write the opera for Naples for 1836, he could do so in January [1835: presumably after ''I puritani'']. He ends by saying that, if he does not hear back from Romani, he will not write to him again.<ref name=WEIN167/> Little is known about Romani's reply, but reply he did, as indicated in Bellini's letter to Florimo in October followed by a very friendly one on 7 October 1834 to the librettist (who had been engaged in Turin) and in which he states: "It seemed impossible to exist without you", closing with "Write for Turin or for wherever, write {{em|for me alone: only for me}}, for your Bellini".<ref>Bellini to Romani, 7 October 1834, in {{harvnb|Weinstock|1971|pp=168–169}}</ref>

Within a year of writing that letter, Bellini was dead. The two men never did meet again.