Voltaire was one of the leading thinkers of the 18th century's Age of Enlightenment. A philosopher, writer, deist, essayist and satirist, he is famous for Philosophical Letters and Candide. Politically and socially engaged, Voltaire was the
archetypal rational humanist of the enlightenment era. In Candide, he satirizes mankind's blind optimism, in part, a reaction to the
devastating Lisbon
earthquake of 1755.
Early Years
Voltaire, whose real name is Francois-Marie
Arouet, (1694-1778), was born to a wealthy family on November 21 in Paris. Intended for the
legal profession, he went to a college run by Jesuit priests studying law but
rebelled against his family's wishes to pursue a literary career.
He was imprisoned in the Bastille for
penning libelous poems, during which time he wrote tragedies and adopted the
name of Voltaire. After a second spell in prison, he quit France for England
to avoid more trouble, where he came under the lasting influence of the works
of Locke and Newton.
Vincenzo Bellini's brief biography – his
life, opera, and major works. He is best known for opera Norma and 'bel canto'
(beautiful singing).
Vincenzo Bellini is best known for his opera Norma whichestablished him as the master of the Italian operatic bel canto style of singing, with his arias having long melodic score and dramatic tension brilliantly crafted. The story and settings take a back seat in favour of bel
canto ('beautiful singing.')
Early Years
Born on November 3, 1801, in the Sicilian town of Catania, Vincenzo Bellini started piano lessons given by his father. A child prodigy, he could already play very well at five. He developed simplicity of melodic expression in his compositions. He studied at Naples Conservatory.
His first opera, Adelson e Salvini, was produced in
1825 while still a student. This attracted the attention of Domenico Barbaia, who commissioned him to write Bianca e Gernando, produced at the Teatro San Carlo. Norma and La Sonnambula (The Sleepwalker) followed in 1831. In I Puritani (The Puritans), his last work, he discovered a new boldness and vigour
of orchestral effect.
Later Years
Two years after he wrote Norma, he travelled to London
and Paris, where he met and befriended Gioachino Rossini and Frédéric Chopin.
Like Mozart and Schubert, he also died in his thirties. His popularity after his death was enormous, but later his operas fell into neglect. Since World War II, however, singers including Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, and Montserrat Caballe, have helped restore Bellini’s popularity particularly with his masterpiece Norma.
He once wrote in a letter, “Carve in your head by
letter of brass: an opera must draw tears, cause horror, bring death, by means
of a song.” This is exactly what his operas portray.
Bellini was appointed a Chevalier of the Légion
d'honneur. He died from gastroenteritis, in Puteaux near Paris, aged 34.
Bellini was a contemporary and rival of Gaetano Donizetti, famous for his opera L'Elisir d'amore. With Felice Romani his librettist, Bellini and Romani were the Rodgers and Hammerstein of their day. They collaborated on six operas.
Voltaire, whose real name is Francois-Marie
Arouet, (1694-1778), was born to a wealthy family on November 21 in Paris. Intended for the
legal profession, he went to a college run by Jesuit priests studying law but
rebelled against his family's wishes to pursue a literary career.
Voltaire, whose real name is Francois-Marie
Arouet, (1694-1778), was born to a wealthy family on November 21 in Paris. Intended for the
legal profession, he went to a college run by Jesuit priests studying law but
rebelled against his family's wishes to pursue a literary career. 
