Respighi’s Sunken Bell - (La
Campana sommersa)
by Ian Lace
Respighi’s opera La
campana sommersa was one of his
most successful works. This essay traces
its origins, development and early performance
history.
Cover
of the vocal score of La campana sommersa
It is an interesting
work not the least because of its philosophical
ambiguities. On the surface it appears
to be a story of the conflict of orthodox
Christian faith with older, more pagan
beliefs as represented by the fairy
folk: Ondine, the water sprite, the
Faun (the spirit of the woods) and the
heroine, Rautendelein, the elf-girl..
Respighi confessed to having fallen
in love with the character of Rautendelein.
As his wife Elsa observed, in this opera,
he revealed his predilection for the
world of nature and fable. Respighi
Society President, Adriano, in this
article’s footnote, observes that Respighi
had "a co
