From 21 June to 12 July, the critical edition of Vincenzo Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, edited by Claudio Toscani, will be performed at the Zurich Opera House under the baton of Fabio Luisi. Performed for the first time in November 2000 at the Teatro Massimo in Catania, this edition of I Capuleti e i Montecchi was also staged in Hannover, London, Leipzig, Munich, Rome, Salzburg and Tokyo, among others.

This is the first volume of the series the Edizione Critica delle Opere di Vincenzo Bellini launched in 1999 by Casa Ricordi with the contribution and collaboration of the Teatro Massimo V. Bellini in Catania. The first great composer of Italian Romanticism, Vincenzo Bellini, with his highly original style, was a key figure in the early 19th century. Until recently, his works have been performed from so-called “traditional” scores: editions derived from decades of performances with limited critical musicological attention and, as a consequence, characterised by significant errors and distorted readings bearing little resemblance to the original sources.

Begun in 1999, work on the edition has been underway ever since: the critical edition of I Capuleti e i Montecchi was followed by La Sonnambula, the collections Musica strumentale and Musica vocale da camera and, in 2014, by the monumental edition of I Puritani which included both the original version of the opera performed in Paris in 1835 and, in the appendix, the sections modified for a performance that was supposed to have taken place at the Teatro S. Carlo in Naples but that never happened. Currently, editions of La straniera, Adelson e Salvini and Norma are being prepared for release.

The Edizione Critica delle Opere di Vincenzo Bellini aims to restore the original dramatic and musical character of the Bellini's scores. Following the editorial philosophy established for all critical editions, the Bellini edition will produce scores that meet the exacting requirements of both performers and scholars. By offering reliable editions, the series aims to restore great works in versions written or sanctioned by the composer, and also stimulate the circulation of lesser known works.