AUTHORITATIVE | CURATED | First 500 words Free

• Personalities
• High Romantic
• Opera

written for Verdi, he produced texts for several other composers of the Romantic era. These included Michael Balfe, Antonio Cagnoni (1828–96), Saverio Mercadante (1795–1870) and Giovanni Pacini (1796–1867): Piave supplied Pacini with the libretto for his Lorenzino de’ Medici (1845), which was first performed in Venice. By this time Verdi was beginning to dominate the opera world and Pacini ...

• Major Operas
• High Romantic
• Opera

the first of them to be performed in England, at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London on 8 March 1845. Composed: 1843 Premiered: 1844, Venice Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, after Victor Hugo Act I Ernani, an outlawed nobleman, is leading a group of rebels in a plot to overthrow the king Don Carlo, to avenge ...

• Major Operas
• High Romantic
• Opera

mention the opera’s title inside a theatre. In 1869 it was extensively revised for its Milan production. Composed: 1861–62; rev. 1869 Premiered: 1862, St Petersburg Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, after Angel de Saavedra and Friedrich von Schiller Act I Leonora is preparing to elope with Alvaro. Her father, the Marquis of Calatrava, considers Alvaro unworthy. Leonora ...

• Major Operas
• High Romantic
• Opera

at another Venetian theatre, and this time had been thoroughly rehearsed and better cast. It was a resounding success. Composed: 1852–53 Premiered: 1853, Venice Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, after Alexandre Dumas Act I Violetta, a high-class prostitute, is holding a party in her Parisian home. She indulges in a gay lifestyle, partly to distract ...

• Major Operas
• High Romantic
• Opera

Light’), two new choruses, a new duet for the Macbeths, a battle fugue and a ballet. Composed: 1847; rev. 1864–65 Premiered: 1847, Florence Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and Andrea Maffei, after William Shakespeare Act I Macbeth and Banquo encounter three witches, who declare that Macbeth will become Thane of Cawdor and then king of Scotland ...

• Major Operas
• High Romantic
• Opera

aria ‘La donna è mobile’, which tells Rigoletto that his planned murder of the licentious Duke of Mantua has failed. Composed: 1850–51 Premiered: 1851, Venice Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, after Victor Hugo Act I In the court of Mantua, the duke tells the courtiers of his success with women. Rigoletto, the duke’s jester, taunts Count ...

• Major Operas
• High Romantic
• Opera

for 10 performances in Milan, but New York had to wait until 1932 and London until 1948. Composed: 1856–57; rev. 1880 Premiered: 1857, Venice Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and Giuseppe Montanelli, after Antonio García Gutiérrez Prologue Paolo and Pietro hope to gain power by electing Boccanegra as doge. He hopes it will enable him to marry Maria ...

• Personalities
• Classical
• Composer
• Late Romantic

text of Oberto, wrote Nabucco, I Lombardi, Giovanna d’Arco and Attila. Cammarano contributed Alzira, La battaglia di Legnano, Luisa Miller and Il trovatore. Francesco Maria Piave, a personal friend of Verdi, whom he worshipped, always obeyed instructions to the best of his ability. He wrote Ernani, I due Foscari, Macbeth, ...

• Personalities
• High Romantic
• Opera

called Petrov his ‘Grandpa’ and at his funeral in 1878 mourned the ‘irreplaceable instructor … who inspired me to creativity’. Introduction | High Romantic | Opera Personalities | Francesco Maria Piave | High Romantic | Opera ...

• Stage & Scene
• High Romantic
• Opera

I Lombardi, Giovanna d’Arco and Attila, and set by Salvadore Cammarano in Luisa Miller, the celebrated Il trovatore and others. Verdi worked more comfortably with Francesco Maria Piave (1810–76), a personal friend who was responsible for Ernani, I due Foscari, Macbeth, Il corsaro, Stiffelio, Rigoletto, La traviata, Simon Boccanegra and La ...