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Rigoletto(1953)
''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play ''Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had control over northern Italian theatres at the time, the opera had a triumphant premiere at La Fenice in Venice on 11 March 1851. The work, Verdi's sixteenth in the genre, is widely considered to be the first of the operatic masterpieces of Verdi's middle-to-late career. Its tragic story revolves around the licentious Duchy of Mantua, Duke of Mantua, his hunch-backed court jester Rigoletto, and Rigoletto's daughter Gilda. The opera's original title, ''La maledizione'' (The Curse), refers to a curse placed on both the Duke and Rigoletto by a courtier whose daughter the Duke has seduced with Rigoletto's encouragement. The curse comes to fruition when Gilda falls in love with the Duke and sacrifices her life to save him from the assassin hired by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the help of a local patron. Verdi came to dominate the Italian opera scene after the era of Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Vincenzo Bellini, whose works significantly influenced him. In his early operas, Verdi demonstrated a sympathy with the Risorgimento movement which sought the unification of Italy. He also participated briefly as an elected politician. The chorus "Va, pensiero" from his early opera ''Nabucco'' (1842), and similar choruses in later operas, were much in the spirit of the unification movement, and the composer himself became esteemed as a representative of these ideals. An intensely private person, Verdi did not seek to ingratiate himself with popular movements. As he became professionally successful, he was able ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stiffelio
''Stiffelio'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, from an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. The origin of this was the novel ''Le pasteur d’hommes'', by Émile Souvestre, which was published in 1838. This was adapted into the French play ''Le pasteur, ou L'évangile et le foyer'' by Souvestre together with Eugène Bourgeois. (Its premiere was on 10 February 1849 at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin in Paris.) That play was in turn translated into Italian by Gaetano Vestri as ''Stifellius''; this formed the basis of Piave's libretto. Verdi's experience in Naples for ''Luisa Miller'' had not been a good one and he returned home to Busseto to consider the subject for his next opera. The idea for ''Stiffelio'' came from his librettist and, entering into a contract with his publisher, Ricordi, he agreed to proceed, leaving the decision as to the location of the premiere to Ricordi. This became the Teatro Grande (now the Teatro Comunale Giuseppe Verdi) in Triest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raffaele Mirate
Raffaele Mirate (3 September 1815 – November 1895) was a celebrated Italian operatic tenor who had an active career from the 1830s through the 1860s. Known for his intelligent phrasing and bright and powerful vocal timbre, he was regarded as an outstanding interpreter of the tenor roles in the early and middle period operas of Giuseppe Verdi. He notably created the role of the Duke of Mantua in the world premiere of Verdi's ''Rigoletto'' in 1851. He was also a highly regarded interpreter of bel canto roles, excelling in the operas of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Gioachino Rossini. Biography Born in Naples, Mirate was a pupil of Alessandro Busti and the famous castrato Girolamo Crescentini at the Regio Collegio di Musica. His first opera performance was in a school production in 1834. His official opera début came three years later at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples as the title hero in Donizetti's ''Torquato Tasso''. From 1836 through 1839 he worked primarily in Naples ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Felice Varesi
Felice Varesi (born Calais, 1813 – died Milan, 13 March 1889) was a French-born Italian baritone with an illustrious singing career that began in the 1830s and extended into the 1860s. He is best remembered today for his close association with several famous operas composed by Giuseppe Verdi, whose birth year he shared. Career Specializing initially in the bel canto operas of Verdi's predecessor Gaetano Donizetti, Varesi began his career in Varese in 1834 and went on to sing in Faenza, Florence, Modena, Rome, Perugia and Genoa. By 1841 he was singing at La Scala, Milan, and from 1842 to 1847 he was in demand in Vienna, where he appeared at the Kärntnertortheater. Here he created the role of Antonio in Donizetti's ''Linda di Chamounix'' as well as appearing in other works by the same composer. In 1844 he sang the role of Don Carlo in ''Ernani'' at Padua, his initial Verdi opera, and later appeared as the Doge in Verdi's '' I due Foscari''. In 1847, in Florence, he was the firs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jules-Édouard Alboize De Pujol
Jules-Édouard Alboize de Pujol (1805, Montpellier – 9 April 1854, Paris) was a French historian and playwright. Director of the Théâtre de l'Atelier in Montmartre, Alboize Pujol wrote several dramas and comedies, either alone or in collaboration. Selected works Publications *''Christiern de Danemark, ou les masques noirs,'' with Paul Foucher, Paris, Marchant, 1836. *''La Guerre des servantes,'' a drama in five acts and seven tableaux, with Charles Emmanuel Theaulon and Jean Harel, 26 August 1837. *''L’Idiote,'' a drama in three acts and in prose, performed in the Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Antoine, 2 December 1837, Paris, JN Barba, 1837. *''Le Tribut des cent vierges,'' Bernard Lopez, E. Duverger, performed at the Théâtre de la Gaîté, Paris, Sn, 1841. *''Marie Simon,'' a drama in five acts, with Saint-Yves, Paris, 1852. *''Les Chevaux du carrousel, ou le Dernier jour de Venise,'' a drama in five acts, with Paul Foucher, Paris, Dondey Widow Dupre . d. Librettos * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Triboulet
Nicolas Ferrial (1479–1536), also known as Le Févrial or Triboulet, was a jester for kings Louis XII and Francis I of France. He appears in Book 3 of François Rabelais' Pantagrueline chronicles. He also appears in Victor Hugo's ''Le Roi s'amuse'' and its operatic version, Giuseppe Verdi's ''Rigoletto'', whose name is a blend of "Triboulet" and French ''rigoler'' (to laugh), intended to deflect the censorship that Hugo's work had received after its publication. Biography Ferrial was born in France in 1479, and it is believed that he suffered from microcephaly Microcephaly (from New Latin ''microcephalia'', from Ancient Greek μικρός ''mikrós'' "small" and κεφαλή ''kephalé'' "head") is a medical condition involving a smaller-than-normal head. Microcephaly may be present at birth or it ..., negatively impacting him neurologically and physically. Ferrial found purpose in life as the court jester for kings Louis XII and Francis I, who found him amusing in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
House Of Gonzaga
) , type = Noble house , country = , estates = Ducal Palace (Mantua) Ducal Palace (Nevers) , titles = * Prince of Arches * Duke of Montferrat * Duke of Mantua * Duke of Guastalla * Duke of Nevers * Duke of Rethel * Duke of Mayenne * Marquis of Mantua * Marquis of Montferrat * County of Novellara and Bagnolo , founded = , founder = Ludovico I Gonzaga , final ruler = Ferdinando Carlo Gonzaga , current head = Maurizio Ferrante Gonzaga , deposition = ( Duchy of Mantua) , cadet branches = Gonzaga di Vescovato(only remaining branch) , ethnicity = Italian The House of Gonzaga (, ) was an Italian princely family that ruled Mantua in Lombardy, northern Italy from 1328 to 1708 (first as a captaincy-general, then margraviate, and finally duchy). They also ruled Monferrato in Piedmont and Nevers in France, as well as many other lesser fiefs throughout Europe. The family includes a saint, twelve cardi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mantua
Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name. In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture. In 2017, it was named as the European Capital of Gastronomy, included in the Eastern Lombardy District (together with the cities of Bergamo, Brescia, and Cremona). In 2008, Mantua's ''centro storico'' (old town) and Sabbioneta were declared by UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family has made it one of the main artistic, culture, cultural, and especially musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole. Having one of the most splendid courts of Europe of the fifteenth, sixteenth, and early seventeenth centuries. Mantua is noted for its significant role in the history of opera; the city is also known for its architectural treasures and artifacts, elegant palaces, and the m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rigoletto Premiere Poster
''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play ''Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had control over northern Italian theatres at the time, the opera had a triumphant premiere at La Fenice in Venice on 11 March 1851. The work, Verdi's sixteenth in the genre, is widely considered to be the first of the operatic masterpieces of Verdi's middle-to-late career. Its tragic story revolves around the licentious Duchy of Mantua, Duke of Mantua, his hunch-backed court jester Rigoletto, and Rigoletto's daughter Gilda. The opera's original title, ''La maledizione'' (The Curse), refers to a curse placed on both the Duke and Rigoletto by a courtier whose daughter the Duke has seduced with Rigoletto's encouragement. The curse comes to fruition when Gilda falls in love with the Duke and sacrifices her life to save him from the assassin hired by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Busseto
Busseto ( Bussetano: ; Parmigiano: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Parma, in Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy with a population of about 7,100. Its history has very ancient roots which date back to the 10th century, and for almost five hundred years it was the capital of Stato Pallavicino, which eventually became part of the Duchy of Parma. The first written sources the name "Busseto" were in the form of "Buxetum", which dates from the early twelfth century. It is believed that the town's name derives from "buxus" (meaning boxwood) or, in another form, as "busetum" (an enclosure for oxen). The "Rocca", the fortress was built in the time of Adalberto Pallavicini, founder of the family, in the eleventh century. In the first half of the thirteenth century, it was completely rebuilt and surrounded by a moat and a drawbridge linking it to the square. In time, however, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times and then lost the drawbridge and part of the walls. In 1857 it was ag ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
History Of Italy (1559–1814)
The history of Italy from 1559 to 1814 was characterized by the domination of foreign nations over Italy, and corresponds to the period that began in 1559 with the end of the Italian Wars and ended in 1814 with the fall of Napoleon. The following period was characterized by political and social unrest which then led to the unification of Italy, which culminated in 1861 with the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy. The Italian economy declined during the 1600s and 1700s, as the peninsula was excluded from the rising Atlantic slave trade. After 1600 Italy experienced an economic catastrophe. In 1600 Northern and Central Italy comprised one of the most advanced industrial areas of Europe. There was an exceptionally high standard of living. By 1870 Italy was an economically backward and depressed area; its industrial structure had almost collapsed, its population was too high for its resources, its economy had become primarily agricultural. Wars, political fractionalization, limite ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
History Of Austria
The history of Austria covers the history of Austria and its predecessor states. In the late Iron Age Austria was occupied by people of the Hallstatt Celtic culture (c. 800 BC), they first organized as a Celtic kingdom referred to by the Romans as Noricum, dating from c. 800 to 400 BC. At the end of the 1st century BC, the lands south of the Danube became part of the Roman Empire. In the Migration Period, the 6th century, the Bavarii, a Germanic people, occupied these lands until it fell to the Frankish Empire establish by the Germanic Franks in the 9th century. The name ''Ostarrîchi'' (Austria) has been in use since 996 AD when it was a margravate of the Duchy of Bavaria and from 1156 an independent duchy (later archduchy) of the Holy Roman Empire (''Heiliges Römisches Reich'' 962–1806). Austria was dominated by the House of Habsburg and House of Habsburg-Lorraine (''Haus Österreich'') from 1273 to 1918. In 1806, when Emperor Francis II of Austria dissolved the Holy Roman ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
