Giovanni Faustini (1615 – 19 December 1651) was an Italian
librettist
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...
and
opera impresario of the 17th century. He is best remembered for his collaborations with the composer
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
.
Life and career
Faustini was born in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
. Impresario at the
Teatro San Cassiano The Teatro San Cassiano (or Teatro di San Cassiano and other variants) in Venice was the world’s first public opera theatre, inaugurated as such in 1637. The first mention of its construction dates back to 1581. The name with which it is best know ...
,
Teatro San Moisè
The Teatro San Moisè was a theatre and opera house in Venice, active from 1620 to 1818. It was in a prominent location near the Palazzo Giustinian and the church of San Moisè at the entrance to the Grand Canal.
History
Built by the San Bernaba ...
and
Teatro Sant 'Apollinare Teatro Sant' Apollinare was an Italian public opera house established in 1651 in Venice in what is today Petriana Court. The Sant 'Apollinare was established in a residential building and equipped with advanced stage machinery intended to allow for ...
, his 14
libretti
A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major l ...
were mostly set by Cavalli, with a few being used by other composers. The libretti Faustini left incomplete at his death were later finished by his brother
Marco Faustini Marco Faustini (17 May 1606 - 7 January 1676) was an Italian theatrical impresario and brother of the impresario and librettist Giovanni Faustini.
Biography
Marco Faustini was born in Venice. He began his career as an entrepreneur in the summer of ...
, who continued his brother's career as impresario at multiple theatres.
Three of his librettos are based on mythological themes, but these are exceptions rather than the rule. A typical Faustini plot relies not on myth or classical history but upon his own imagination. He based his creative thinking upon a fundamental pattern of two pair of aristocratic lovers from exotic nations, who undergo a lengthy process of separation and reconciliation, assisted by a good number of clownish servants who provide comic relief. Many devices from Roman comedy and the
pastoral
A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depicts ...
genre also appear, such as sleeping potions and letters delivered to the wrong person. Faustini was heavily committed to his career as a professional librettist, and his work with Cavalli was of vital importance in the development of Venetian opera.
Librettos
*''
La virtù dei strali d'Amore'' (music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1642)
*''
Egisto'' (music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1643; music by
Benedetto Ferrari
Benedetto Ferrari (ca. 1603 – 1681) was an Italian composer, particularly of opera, librettist, and theorbo player.
Ferrari was born in Reggio nell'Emilia. He worked in Rome (1617–1618), Parma (1619–1623), and possibly in Modena at some ...
, 1651)
*''
Ormindo
''L'Ormindo'' is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Francesco Cavalli to an original Italian libretto by Giovanni Faustini. The manuscript score is held at the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice,The score has been digitized bIMSLP while a copy o ...
'' (music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1644)
*''
Doriclea'' (music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1645; music by
Pietro Andrea Ziani
Pietro Andrea Ziani (1616 in Venice 1684 in Naples) was an Italian organist and composer.Rappresentazione sacra: geistliches Musikdrama am Wiener Kaiserhof Richard Bletschacher - 1985 PIETRO ANDREA ZIANI Wurde am 21. 12. 1616 in Venedig getauft. ...
, 1666)
*''Titone'' (music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1645)
*''Euripo'' (music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1649)
*''
Orimonte'' (music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1650)
*''
Oristeo
Oristeo is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Francesco Cavalli. It was designated as a ''dramma per musica''. The Italian libretto was by Giovanni Faustini.
The opera is notable for containing one of the first examples of a da capo aria, ' ...
'' (music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1651)
*''
Rosinda
''Rosinda'', also known as ''La Rosinda'', is an opera in three acts and a prologue by the Italian composer Francesco Cavalli with a libretto by Giovanni Faustini. It was first performed at the Teatro Sant 'Apollinare, Venice in 1651-02 durin ...
'' (music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1651)
*''
La Calisto
''La Calisto'' is an opera by Francesco Cavalli from a libretto by Giovanni Faustini based on the mythological story of Callisto.
The opera received its first performance on 28 November 1651 at the Teatro Sant 'Apollinare, Venice, where it dr ...
'' (music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1651)
*''
Eritrea
Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...
'' (music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1652)
*''Eupatra'' (music by
Pietro Andrea Ziani
Pietro Andrea Ziani (1616 in Venice 1684 in Naples) was an Italian organist and composer.Rappresentazione sacra: geistliches Musikdrama am Wiener Kaiserhof Richard Bletschacher - 1985 PIETRO ANDREA ZIANI Wurde am 21. 12. 1616 in Venedig getauft. ...
, 1655; music by
Giovanni Battista Costanzi
Giovanni Battista Costanzi (1704-1778) was an Italian composer and cellist. He succeeded Stefano Fabri as ''maestro di cappella'' of the Cappella Giulia at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Also known as teacher of Luigi Boccherini
Ridolfo Luigi B ...
, 1730)
*''
Elena
Elena may refer to:
People
* Elena (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name
* Joan Ignasi Elena (born 1968), Catalan politician
* Francine Elena (born 1986), British poet
Geography
* Elena (town), a town in Veliko ...
'' (completed by
Nicolò Minato Count Nicolò Minato (b. Bergamo, ca. 1627; d. Vienna, 28 February 1698) was an Italian poet, librettist and impresario. His career can be divided into two parts: the years he spent at Venice, from 1650 to 1669, and the years at Vienna, from 1669 un ...
; music by
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...
, 1659)
*''Il tiranno humiliato d’amore, ovvero Il Meraspe'' (revised by
Nicolò Beregan Count Nicolò Beregan (also ''Berengani'' and ''Bergani''; 1627-1713) was an Italian nobleman, lawyer and amateur opera librettist. His ''Giustino'' was first set to music in 1683 by composer Giovanni Legrenzi for '' Il Giustino'', and later reused ...
; music by
Carlo Pallavicino
Carlo Pallavicino (Pallavicini; c. 1630 – 29 January 1688) was an Italian composer.
Pallavicino was born at Salò. From 1666 to 1673, he worked at the Dresden court; from 1674 to 1685, at the '' Ospedale degli Incurabili'' (a conservatory wher ...
, 1667)
*''Alciade'' (music by
Pietro Andrea Ziani
Pietro Andrea Ziani (1616 in Venice 1684 in Naples) was an Italian organist and composer.Rappresentazione sacra: geistliches Musikdrama am Wiener Kaiserhof Richard Bletschacher - 1985 PIETRO ANDREA ZIANI Wurde am 21. 12. 1616 in Venedig getauft. ...
, 1667)
References
*
Bibliography
*B. Brunelli: ''L’impresario in angustie'', Rivista italiana del dramma, iii (1941), 311–41
*J. Glover: ''The Teatro Sant’Apollinare and the Development of Seventeenth-Century Venetian Opera'' (diss., U. of Oxford, 1975)
*J. Glover: ''Cavalli'' (London, 1978)
*G. Morelli: ''Scompiglio e lamento (simmetrie dell’incostanza e incostanza delle simmetre): ‘L’Egisto’ di Faustini e Cavalli'' (Venice, 1982)
*E. Rosand: ''Opera in Seventeenth-Century Venice: the Creation of a Genre'' (Berkeley, 1990)
1615 births
1651 deaths
Italian opera librettists
Opera managers
Impresarios
17th-century Venetian people
Date of birth unknown
Italian male dramatists and playwrights
{{Opera-bio-stub