Description
Bellini's La Sonnambula (The Sleepwalker) is a Melodramma in two acts and was first performed in Milan, 1831. The work is a light, romantic comedy of errors centred around the misunderstanding of the heroine's sleepwalking activities, and the Italian Bel Canto style makes large technical demands of the abilities of the performers. The story itself is based upon a ballet by Eugène Scribe, with a libretto by Felice Romani becoming the vehicle for Bellini's delicate and descriptive melodic writing.