I due Foscari
Music by Giuseppe Verdi · libretto by Francesco Maria Piave · premiered 1844 · at Teatro Argentina
I due Foscari (The Two Foscari) is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the 1821 historical play, The Two Foscari by Lord Byron. After his success with Ernani, Verdi received a commission from Rome's Teatro Argentina and he went to work with Piave in considering two subjects, one of which eventually became this opera. I due Foscari was given its premiere performance in Rome on 3 November 1844 and was generally quite successful, although not on the scale of Ernani, which remained Verdi's most popular opera until Il trovatore in 1853.
Text from the Wikipedia article "I due Foscari", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
About the Composer
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( VAIR-dee, Italian: [dʒuˈzɛppe ˈverdi]; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the modern province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the help of a local patron named Antonio Barezzi. Verdi came to dominate the Italian opera scene after the era of Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, and Gaetano Donizetti, whose works significantly influenced him. He was also strongly influenced by the French Grand opera style, particularly Giacomo Meyerbeer and Gaspare Spontini. In his early operas, Verdi demonstrated sympathy with the…
Text from the Wikipedia article "Giuseppe Verdi", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Other Operas by Giuseppe Verdi
- Alzira (1736)
- Giovanna d'Arco (1801)
- Attila (1809)
- Ernani (1830)
- Il trovatore (1836)
- I Lombardi alla prima crociata (1843)
- I masnadieri (1845)
- Aroldo (1850)