"extremely well with the new leaders of taste, the affluent bourgeoisie. The success of ""Robert"" was as spectacular as its production. Over the next few years, Véron brought on Auber's ""Gustave III"" (1833, libretto by Scribe, later adapted for Verdi's ""Un ballo in maschera)"", and Fromental Halévy's ""La Juive"" (1835, libretto also by Scribe), and commissioned Meyerbeer's next opera ""Les Huguenots"" (1836, libretto by Scribe and Deschamps), whose success was to prove the most enduring of all grand operas during the 19th century. Having made a fortune in his stewardship of the Opéra, Véron cannily handed on his concession to"
"1859, the Italian composer, Giuseppe Verdi, had his librettist, Antonio Somma, use Scribe's libretto as its basis. As a result of changes imposed by censors in both Naples and Rome, the title of the opera became ""Un ballo in maschera"" and it premiered in Rome on 17 February 1859. She is also mentioned in the famed novel ""The Queen's Tiara"" by Carl Jonas Love Almquist. Notes Sources Ulrica Arfvidsson Anna Ulrica Arfvidsson (1734–1801) was a professional Swedish fortune-teller during the reign of Gustav III of Sweden. She was commonly known as ""Mamsell Arfvidsson"". Ulrica Arfvidsson was the daughter of a"
"Tutti in maschera Tutti in maschera (Everyone in Disguise) is an opera (called a ""commedia lirica"") by Carlo Pedrotti. The libretto is by Marco Marcelliano Marcello, based on the 1759 comedy ""L'impresario delle Smirne"" by Carlo Goldoni. It was premiered at the Teatro Nuovo, Verona, on 4 November 1856. ""Tutti in maschera"" was the twelfth of Pedrotti's eighteen operas and the tenth to be staged (the first two were never performed). Five of the previous eleven were opere serie (serious operas) and five were opere semiserie (operas combining drama and comedy). Only one, the one-act ""Il parrucchiere della reggenza"" (""The"
"Le maschere Le maschere (""The Masks"") is an opera in a Prologue and three acts by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. The work was Mascagni's homage to Rossini and to the Italian opera buffa and commedia dell'arte traditions. It was premiered simultaneously in six Italian opera houses on 17 January 1901: La Scala (with Caruso as Florindo, Carelli as Rosaura, and Toscanini conducting); the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa; the Teatro Regio in Turin; the Teatro Costanzi in Rome; La Fenice in Venice; and the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona. Two days later, it premiered at the"
"Gustave III (Auber) Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué (""Gustavus III, or The Masked Ball"") is an ""opéra historique"" or grand opera in five acts by Daniel Auber, with a libretto by Eugène Scribe. It received its first performance at the Salle Le Peletier of the Paris Opéra on 27 February 1833, with costumes designed by Eugène Lami and Paul Lormier, and sets by Léon Feuchère (Act I and Act V, scene 2), Jules Diéterle (Act II), Alfred (Act III), Pierre-Luc-Charles Ciceri (Act IV), René-Humanité Philastre and Charles-Antoine Cambon (Act V, scene 1). The opera was a major success for"
"Berdini, Afro Poli.) Conductor Bruno Bartoletti. Trieste, 1961. Gala GL 100.731 Notes Sources Le maschere Le maschere (""The Masks"") is an opera in a Prologue and three acts by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. The work was Mascagni's homage to Rossini and to the Italian opera buffa and commedia dell'arte traditions. It was premiered simultaneously in six Italian opera houses on 17 January 1901: La Scala (with Caruso as Florindo, Carelli as Rosaura, and Toscanini conducting); the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa; the Teatro Regio in Turin; the Teatro Costanzi in Rome; La Fenice in Venice;"
"to all. ""The masked ball at La Fenice"" Everyone is in disguise - Vittoria as a flower-seller, Dorotea in the costume that Abdalà specified for Vittoria, and both Gregorio and Emilio are dressed as Abdalà. After a lot of confusion, everything is sorted out and Abdalà distributes contracts to the whole troupe, but Vittoria and Emilio opt to stay in Venice to cement their relationship. Pedrotti: ""Tutti in maschere"", Orchestra Sinfonica di Sanremo e Della Liguria Notes Sources Tutti in maschera Tutti in maschera (Everyone in Disguise) is an opera (called a ""commedia lirica"") by Carlo Pedrotti. The libretto is"
"masquerades. The ""festa di ballo"" was centered on a ballet, the ""festa d'armi"" on mock battles, and the ""festa a cavallo"" on displays of horsemanship, including elaborately choreographed equestrian ballets. Smaller scale stage works included intermedi, cantatas, and sung narrative poems to accompany tournaments. These were often performed as part of a ""veglia"" (late evening entertainment). Unless otherwise indicated all of the performances below took place in Florence. Andrea Salvadori Andrea Salvadori (1591 – buried 25 August 1634) was an Italian poet and librettist. He was born in Florence and educated at the Collegio Romano in Rome. From 1616 until"
"""La maschera e il volto"" (""The Mask and the Face: A Grotesque in Three Acts""), which he had written in 1913, and on which much of his reputation rests. It was praised by Antonio Gramsci in his magazine ""Avanti!"" (11 April 1917) for the insight it showed into the chasm between one's persona and one's true personality. It was revived in London in 1993. It was followed by ""La Scala di seta"" (""The Silken Ladder"", 1917), ""Chimere"" (""Chimeras"", 1920), ""La morte degli amanti"" (""The Lovers' Death"", 1921), which was produced simultaneously in London, ""Fuochi d'artificio"" (""Fireworks"", 1922), the radio play"
"Leone Giraldoni Leone Giraldoni (born 4 July 1824, Paris – died 19 September 1897, Moscow) was a celebrated Italian operatic baritone. He created the title roles of Gaetano Donizetti's ""Il duca d'Alba"" (1882) and Verdi's ""Simon Boccanegra"" (1857) as well as the role of Renato in Verdi's ""Un ballo in maschera"" (1859). Giraldoni studied in Florence with Luigi Ronzi and made his début as the High Priest in Pacini's ""Saffo"" (Lodi, 1847). He made his La Scala début as Il Conte di Luna in ""Il trovatore"" in 1850 and during his long career sang throughout Europe with considerable success. His"
"Maskarade Maskarade (""Masquerade"") is an opera in three acts by Carl Nielsen to a Danish libretto by Vilhelm Andersen, based on the comedy by Ludvig Holberg. It was first performed on 11 November 1906 at Det Kongelige Teater, Copenhagen. ""Maskarade"" has enjoyed enduring popularity in Denmark where it is considered to be the country's national opera. Nielsen first considered writing an opera based on Holberg's play ""Maskarade"" around the turn of the 20th century. He contacted Vilhelm Andersen (1864–1953) whom he knew from his student days, hoping to persuade him to write a libretto. Andersen initially refused but finally agreed,"
"of united Italy. Thus, """"Viva Verdi"""" was a rallying cry for patriots and often appeared in graffiti in Milan and other cities in what was then part of Austro-Hungarian territory. Verdi had problems with censorship before the unification of Italy. His opera ""Un ballo in maschera"" was originally entitled ""Gustavo III"" and was presented to the San Carlo opera in Naples, the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, in the late 1850s. The Neapolitan censors objected to the realistic plot about the assassination of Gustav III, King of Sweden, in the 1790s. Even after the plot was changed,"
"Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (; 29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as some sacred music, songs, chamber music, and piano pieces. He was a precocious composer of operas, and he made his debut at age 18 with ""La cambiale di matrimonio"". His best-known operas include the Italian comedies ""The Barber of Seville"" (""Il barbiere di Siviglia""), ""The Italian Girl in Algiers"" (""L'italiana in Algeri""), and ""Cinderella"" (""La Cenerentola""). He also wrote a string of serious operas in Italian, including works such as ""Tancredi"", ""Otello"", and ""Semiramide"". ""The Thieving"
"Gustavo III (Verdi) Gustavo III is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi to a libretto begun in early 1857 by the Italian playwright Antonio Somma. Never performed as written, the libretto was later revised (or proposed to be revised) several times under two additional names – ""Una vendetta in domino"" and ""Adelia degli Adimari"" – during which the setting was changed to vastly different locations. Eventually, it was agreed that it could be called ""Un ballo in maschera"", the one by which it is known today, but Verdi was forced to accept that the location of the story would have to"
"Masquerade (Khachaturian) Masquerade was written in 1941 by Aram Khachaturian as incidental music for a production of the play of the same name by Russian poet and playwright Mikhail Lermontov. It premiered on 21 June 1941 in the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. The music is better known in the form of a five-movement suite. Khachaturian was asked to write music for a production of ""Masquerade"" being produced by the director Ruben Simonov. The famous waltz theme in particular gave Khachaturian much trouble in its creation: moved by the words of the play's heroine, Nina – ""How beautiful the new waltz"
"of ""Guglielmo Tell"", the third act of ""Otello"", and all of ""il Barbiere di Siviglia"" will certainly endure."" Texts, books Sheet music Performances Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (; 29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as some sacred music, songs, chamber music, and piano pieces. He was a precocious composer of operas, and he made his debut at age 18 with ""La cambiale di matrimonio"". His best-known operas include the Italian comedies ""The Barber of Seville"" (""Il barbiere di Siviglia""), ""The Italian Girl in Algiers"" (""L'italiana in Algeri""), and"
"author and critic. Notable writings include his 1924 study of Boito's opera ""Nerone"", an article on ""Mozart in Italy"" from 1955, and his collected essays, ""Battute d'aspetto"" (1946). Gui died in Florence in 1975, aged 90. Numerous recordings survive of Gui's work either from the studio or as airchecks, including the last two Brahms symphonies and some Mozart symphonies, and numerous operatic performances. Among others, his 1949 recording of Verdi's opera ""A Masked Ball"" has been reissued on CD, as has his 1950 performance of Wagner's ""Parsifal"" with Maria Callas. His 1952 performance of Bellini's ""Norma"" with Callas on EMI"
"a well-known duet for tenor and baritone titled ""Enzo Grimaldo"", the soprano set-piece ""Suicidio!"", and the ballet section known as ""The Dance of the Hours"", which is universally known largely thanks to its feature in Walt Disney's ""Fantasia"" in 1940, Allan Sherman's novelty song, ""Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh"", and numerous other popular works. An Amilcare Ponchielli Bibliography- Books, Collections, Proceedings and Correspondence Periodicals Dissertations Amilcare Ponchielli Amilcare Ponchielli (, 31 August 1834 – 16 January 1886) was an Italian opera composer, best known for his opera ""La Gioconda"". He was married to the soprano Teresina Brambilla. Born in Paderno Fasolaro"
"to meet commitments regarding ""Lear"". Finally, in a letter which he wrote to Torelli in September 1857, Verdi confessed that he had ""looked through an infinite number of plays...but not one of them will do for me..."" but he then described an existing libretto which interested him, one which was written by the French playwright and librettist Eugene Scribe for Daniel Auber's very successful 1833 opera, ""Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué"": Verdi turned to the historical subject of King Gustav III of Sweden, who was shot while attending a masked ball in Stockholm in 1792 and died thirteen days"
"Antonio Giuglini Antonio Giuglini (16 or 17 January 1825 – 12 October 1865) was an Italian operatic tenor. During the last eight years of his life, before he developed signs of mental instability, he earned renown as one of the leading stars of the operatic scene in London. He created several major roles for British audiences, appearing in the first London performances of Gounod's ""Faust"" and Verdi's ""Un ballo in maschera"". In London, he was the usual stage partner of the great dramatic soprano Thérèse Tietjens. Guiglini was born at Fano in Italy's middle/north-east. He studied in his home country"
"Bluebeard (ballet) Barbe-bleue (en. ""Bluebeard"") (ru. «Синяя борода», ""Sinjaja boroda"") is a ""ballet-féerie"" in three acts and seven scenes, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Pyotr Schenk. The libretto was created by the author and dramatist Countess Lydia Pashkova from the fairy tale ""Bluebeard"" by Charles Perrault. The ballet was first presented by the Imperial Ballet on at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, the first performance being a benefit in honor of Marius Petipa's fiftieth anniversary in service to the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres. Marius Petipa created the ballet ""Bluebeard"" for his own benefit"
"Niccolò Barbieri Niccolò (or Nicolò) Barbieri (Vercelli, 1586 - 1641) was an Italian writer and actor of the commedia dell'arte theatrical genre. He was also known as Beltrame di Milano (""Beltrame of Milan"") in reference to one of his most popular characters, Beltrame; this was the main character of one of Barbieri's best known plays, ""L'inavertito"", which is known to have inspired Moliere's ""L'Étourdi ou les Contretemps"" (""The Blunderer""). Besides popularizing Beltrame, Barbieri is also credited with creating another ""commedia dell'arte"" mask, Scapino. Barbieri was a successful author and actor, and one of those that toured Europe; he is known,"
"of Musetta in ""La bohème"" and notably sang this part in the first world complete recording of the opera (made in 1918 in Milan by La voce del padrone with Remo Andreini as Rodolfo and Gemma Bosini as Mimì, with the orchestra and chorus of the Teatro alla Scala under the direction of Carlo Sabajno). Giana's other roles on stage included Nedda in Ruggero Leoncavallo’s ""Pagliacci"", Oscar in Giuseppe Verdi’s ""Un ballo in maschera"" and Walter in Alfredo Catalani's ""La Wally"". Adalgisa Giana Adalgisa Giana (June 27, 1888, Lasnigo, Como Province – February 25, 1970 Lasnigo) was an Italian operatic"
"man (the Russian ambassador Stackelberg), that she should be careful, and that great sorrows awaited her. In 1797, she was consulted by Hedvig Ulrika Armfelt about the future of her exiled spouse, Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt, upon which she answered, that the days of sorrow would soon be over for Hedvig Ulrika Armfelt, and that all would be well for her spouse. Ulrica Arfvidsson is a character in Daniel Auber's opera ""Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué"" (""Gustave III, or The Masked Ball""), which used a libretto by French playwright Eugene Scribe. In preparing his opera ""Gustavo III"" between 1857 and"
"Pirandello's poetry was translated for the first time in 2016 by George Hochfield. Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature for ""his almost magical power to turn psychological analysis into good theatre."" Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written in Sicilian. Pirandello's tragic farces are often seen as forerunners of the Theatre of the Absurd. Pirandello was born into an"
"the composer, with 168 performances until 1853. Ellen Creathorne Clayton has translated French critic Jules Janin's description of the last act, which was often presented separately from the opera, as follows: The opera concerns some aspects of the real-life assassination of Gustavus III, King of Sweden. The major aspects of the plot can be found first in Giuseppe Verdi's planned opera, ""Gustavo III"", which was never performed as written, but whose major elements were incorporated into a revised version of the story in the opera which eventually became ""Un ballo in maschera"". Notes Sources Gustave III (Auber) Gustave III, ou"
"Parisina (Mascagni) Parisina is a ""tragedia lirica"", or opera, in four acts by Pietro Mascagni. Gabriele D'Annunzio wrote the Italian libretto after Byron's poem ""Parisina"" of 1816. It was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on 15 December 1913. Mascagni (b. Livorno, 7 Dec 1863; d. Rome, 2 Aug 1945) achieved success early on in his compositional life with one of his most famous operas, ""Cavalleria Rusticana"". With this opera he overcame at least 70 rival composers to win the Sonzogno competition in 1888. The ensuing fame encouraged a prolific career remembered for the vibrant melodies first"
"Edouard Duprez. Marie-Stéphanie Meillet was reengaged for the important role of Amelia. Juliette Borghèse sang Ulrique, and Richard (Riccardo) was sung by a tenor by the name of Massy. The production opened on 17 November 1869 to ecstatic reviews and was performed a total of 65 times, notwithstanding that the opera was also being performed that same season in Italian at the Théâtre-Italien. ""Le bal masqué"" was followed by Michael William Balfe's three-act ""The Bohemian Girl"", in a revised and highly adapted French version by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges. It was performed under the title ""La Bohémienne"" and had originally"
"Il ballo delle ingrate Il ballo delle ingrate (""The Ballet of the Ungrateful Ladies"") is a semi-dramatic ballet by the Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi set to a libretto by Ottavio Rinuccini. It was first performed in Mantua on Wednesday, 4 June 1608 as part of the wedding celebrations for Francesco Gonzaga (the son of Monteverdi's patron Duke Vincenzo of Mantua) and Margaret of Savoy. Both Vincenzo and Francesco Gonzaga took part in the dancing. Monteverdi also composed the opera ""L'Arianna"" (to another libretto by Rinuccini) and the music for the prologue to Guarini's play ""L'idropica"" for the occasion. ""Il ballo"
"the ungrateful ladies return to the Underworld, one of them sings a lament regretting she must leave the ""pure and serene air."" Il ballo delle ingrate Il ballo delle ingrate (""The Ballet of the Ungrateful Ladies"") is a semi-dramatic ballet by the Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi set to a libretto by Ottavio Rinuccini. It was first performed in Mantua on Wednesday, 4 June 1608 as part of the wedding celebrations for Francesco Gonzaga (the son of Monteverdi's patron Duke Vincenzo of Mantua) and Margaret of Savoy. Both Vincenzo and Francesco Gonzaga took part in the dancing. Monteverdi also composed the"
"the Welsh National Opera. Some of the other roles she performed on stage were Abigaille in ""Nabucco"", Amelia in ""Un ballo in maschera"", Cio-Cio-San in ""Madama Butterfly"", Desdemona in ""Otello"", Donna Anna in ""Don Giovanni"", Elvira in ""Ernani"", Lady Macbeth in ""Macbeth"", Leonora in ""Il trovatore"", Leonora in ""La forza del destino"", Magda in ""La Rondine"", Nedda in ""Pagliacci"", and the title heroines in ""Aida"", ""Manon Lescaut"", ""Norma"" and ""Tosca"". She abandoned her career in 2007 after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Ginsberg died in 2010 at age 55 in The Bronx (Riverdale), New York of ovarian cancer metastases to"
"E. T. A. Hoffmann Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (commonly abbreviated as E. T. A. Hoffmann; born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann; 24 January 177625 June 1822) was a German Romantic author of fantasy and Gothic horror, a jurist, composer, music critic, draftsman and caricaturist. His stories form the basis of Jacques Offenbach's famous opera ""The Tales of Hoffmann"", in which Hoffmann appears (heavily fictionalized) as the hero. He is also the author of the novella ""The Nutcracker and the Mouse King"", on which Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet ""The Nutcracker"" is based. The ballet ""Coppélia"" is based on two other stories that"
"in Saint Petersburg, Drigo was conducting the entire repertory of the Imperial Italian Opera, which at that time performed at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre. He impressed the management a great deal, conducting such works as Verdi's ""Aida"" and ""Un ballo in maschera"" from memory. It was custom in Imperial Russia for all theatrical performances to be reported in detail in the newspapers, and Drigo's performances were always reported with praise — """" ... the young gentleman will stay here a long time ..."""" commented one columnist after attending an opera which Drigo conducted. The Imperial Italian Opera was disbanded by"