Ex. 8-6: Vaga luna che inargenti

An arietta by Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835), dedicated to Giulietta Pezzi. Published in 1838 by Casa Ricordi as part of Tre Ariette inedite (Three Unpublished Ariettes) — three years after the composer's death at age 33.

Bellini, born in Sicily to a musical family, was one of the leading Italian opera composers of the early 19th century, alongside Rossini and Donizetti. His melodies were admired by Chopin, Berlioz, and Wagner. His final opera I Puritani premiered in January 1835 to great success, but he fell ill and died that September.

The poem (author unknown) is a lover's plea to the moon: "Beautiful moon, you alone witness my desire — tell her of my heartbeats and sighs. Tell her that distance cannot ease my grief, and that hope lives only in the future."