Arrigo Boito (; 24 February 1842 10 June 1918) (whose original name was Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito and who wrote essays under the anagrammatic

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individu ...

of Tobia Gorrio) was an Italian

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or w ...

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...

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

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

, best known today for his libretti, especially those for

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 h ...

's last two monumental operas ''

Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play '' Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887. ...

'' and '' Falstaff'' (not to mention

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. Life and work Born in Paderno Fasolaro (now Paderno Ponchiell ...

's operatic masterpiece '' La Gioconda'') and his own opera ''

Mefistofele ''Mefistofele'' () is an opera in a prologue and five acts, later reduced to four acts and an epilogue, the only completed opera with music by the Italian composer-librettist Arrigo Boito (there are several completed operas for which he was libre ...

''. Along with

Emilio Praga Emilio Praga (18 December 1839 – 26 December 1875) was an Italian writer, painter, poet and librettist. He is the father of the artist Marco Praga. He belongs to the artistic movement Scapigliatura ''Scapigliatura'' () is the name of an art ...

and his own brother

Camillo Boito Camillo Boito (; 30 October 1836 – 28 June 1914) was an Italian architect and engineer, and a noted art critic, art historian and novelist. Biography Boito was born in Rome, the son of an Italian painter of miniatures. His mother was of Poli ...

, he is regarded as one of the prominent representatives of the

Scapigliatura ''Scapigliatura'' () is the name of an artistic movement that developed in Italy after the Risorgimento period (1815–71). The movement included poets, writers, musicians, painters and sculptors. The term Scapigliatura is the Italian equivalent of ...

artistic movement.

Biography

Birthplace in Padua Born in

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

, the son of Silvestro Boito (1802–1856), an Italian painter of miniatures, who was not of noble birth but passed himself off as a nobleman, and his wife, a Polish countess, Józefina Radolińska, Boito studied music at the

Milan Conservatory The Milan Conservatory (''Conservatorio di Milano'') is a college of music in Milan, Italy. History The conservatory was established by a royal decree of 1807 in Milan, capital of the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. It opened the following year ...

with

Alberto Mazzucato Alberto Mazzucato (28 July 1813 – 31 December 1877) was an Italian composer, music teacher, and writer. Mazzucato was born in Udine. Trained at the Padua Conservatory, he composed eight operas between 1834 and 1843, of which his most succes ...

until 1861, where a friend, Albert Visetti resided as well. His older brother,

, was an Italian architect and engineer as well as a noted art critic, art historian and novelist. In 1866 he fought under

Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as ''Gioxeppe Gaibado''. In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as ''Jousé'' or ''Josep''. 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, pa ...

in the

Seven Weeks' War The Austro-Prussian War, also by many variant names such as Seven Weeks' War, German Civil War, Brothers War or Fraternal War, known in Germany as ("German War"), (; "German war of brothers") and by a variety of other names, was fought in 186 ...

in which the

Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...

and

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

fought against

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, after which

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 ...

was ceded to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. Between 1887 and 1894, he had an affair with celebrated actress

Eleonora Duse Eleonora Giulia Amalia Duse ( , ; 3 October 185821 April 1924), often known simply as Duse, was an Italian actress, rated by many as the greatest of her time. She performed in many countries, notably in the plays of Gabriele d'Annunzio and He ...

. Their relationship was carried out in a highly clandestine manner, presumably because of Boito's many aristocratic friends and acquaintances. (Despite this, their voluminous correspondence over the years survives.) The two remained on good terms until his death. Towards the end of his musical career, Boito succeeded Giovanni Bottesini as director of the

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second m ...

Conservatory after the latter's death in 1889 and held the post until 1897. He received the honorary degree of Doctor of Music from the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

in 1893, and on his death in Milan he was interred there in the

Cimitero Monumentale The Cimitero Monumentale ("Monumental Cemetery") is one of the two largest cemeteries in Milan, Italy, the other one being the Cimitero Maggiore. It is noted for the abundance of artistic tombs and monuments. Designed by the architect Carlo Ma ...

. He was an atheist. A memorial concert was given in his honor at La Scala in 1948. The orchestra was conducted by

Arturo Toscanini Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orch ...

. Recorded in very primitive sound, the concert has been issued on CD.

Career in music

Boito wrote very little music, but completed (and later destroyed) the opera '' Ero e Leandro'' and left incomplete a further opera, '' Nerone'', which he had been working at, on and off, between 1877 and 1915. Excluding its last act, for which Boito left only a few sketches, ''Nerone'' was finished after his death by

and

Vincenzo Tommasini Vincenzo Tommasini (17 September 187823 December 1950) was an Italian composer. Born in Rome, Tommasini studied philology and the Greek language at the University of Rome, at the same time pursuing equally intensive studies in music at the Aca ...

and premiered at La Scala in 1924. He also left a Symphony in A minor in manuscript. ''Mefistofele'' His only completed opera, ''

'', based on

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

's ''

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroa ...

'', was given its first performance on 5 March 1868, at

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

. The premiere, which he conducted himself, was badly received, provoking riots and duels over its supposed " Wagnerism", and it was closed by the police after two performances. Verdi commented, "He aspires to originality but succeeds only at being strange." Boito withdrew the opera from further performances to rework it, and it had a more successful second premiere, in

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different na ...

on 10 April 1875. This revised and drastically cut version also changed Faust from a baritone to a tenor. ''Mefistofele'' is the only work of his performed with any regularity today, and

Enrico Caruso Enrico Caruso (, , ; 25 February 1873 – 2 August 1921) was an Italian operatic first lyrical tenor then dramatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles (74) ...

included its two tenor arias in his first recording session. The prologue to the opera, set in heaven, is a favorite concert excerpt. Libretti Boito's literary powers never waned. As well as writing the libretti for his own operas, he wrote them for greater operas by two other composers. As "Tobia Gorrio" (an

anagram An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into ''nag a ram'', also the word ...

of his name), he provided the libretto for

's '' La Gioconda''. Collaboration with Verdi Shortly after he had collaborated with Verdi on '' Inno delle nazioni'' ("Anthem of the Nations", London, 1862), Boito offended him in a toast to his long-time friend, the composer (and later conductor) Franco Faccio. The ''rapprochement'' was effected by the music publisher Giulio Ricordi, whose long-term aim was to persuade Verdi to write another opera. Verdi agreed that Boito should revise the libretto of the original 1857 '' Simon Boccanegra''.

Musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some m ...

Roger Parker speculates that this was based on a desire to "test the possibility" of working with Boito, before possibly embarking on a larger project. The revised ''Boccanegra'' premiered to great acclaim in 1881. With that, their mutual friendship and respect blossomed, and that larger project became ''

''.Parker, p. 382 Although Verdi's aim to write the music for an opera based on Shakespeare's ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...

'' never came to fruition (despite the existence of a libretto), Boito provided subtle and resonant libretti not just for ''

'' (based on Shakespeare's play ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyp ...

'') but also for '' Falstaff'' (which was based on two other Shakespeare plays, ''

The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...

'' and parts of '' Henry IV''). After those many years of close association, when Verdi died in 1901, Boito was at his bedside.

Libretti by Boito

The years given are those of the premieres. Boito also provided the text to Verdi's cantata ''Inno delle Nazioni'' which was first given on 24 May 1862 at

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...

, London. * ''

Amleto ''Amleto'' is an opera in four acts by Franco Faccio set to a libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet''. It premiered on 30 May 1865 at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa and was revised for a La Scala production given on 12 ...

'' ( Franco Faccio; 1865) * ''

'' (1868, his own music; 1875, his own music) * ''Un tramonto'' ( Gaetano Coronaro; 1873) * ''La falce'' (

Alfredo Catalani Alfredo Catalani (19 June 1854 – 7 August 1893) was an Italian operatic composer. He is best remembered for his operas '' Loreley'' (1890) and ''La Wally'' (1892). ''La Wally'' was composed to a libretto by Luigi Illica, and features Catalani' ...

; 1875) * '' La Gioconda'' (

; 1876) * ''Semira'' (L. San Germano; never perf.) * ''Ero e Leandro'' ( Giovanni Bottesini; 1879 –

Luigi Mancinelli Luigi Mancinelli (; 5 February 1848 – 2 February 1921) was an Italian conductor, cellist and composer. His early career was in Italy, where he established a reputation in Perugia and then Bologna. After 1886 he worked mostly in other count ...

; 1897) * '' Simon Boccanegra'' (Giuseppe Verdi; 1881 evised version of the 1857 original * ''Basi e bote'' ( Riccardo Pick-Mangiagalli; 1927) * ''

'' (Verdi; 1887) * '' Falstaff'' (Verdi; 1893) * '' Nerone'' (Boito, unfinished, lacking act V; 1924)

Recordings

Recordings of two operas exist: * ''

'' *
Nerone
'

Depictions in media

* The play '' After Aida'' — a 1985 play-with-music by

Julian Mitchell Charles Julian Humphrey Mitchell, FRSL (born 1 May 1935) is an English playwright, screenwriter and occasional novelist. He is best known as the writer of the play and film '' Another Country'', and as a screenwriter for TV, producing many orig ...

— depicts the struggle of Giulio Ricordi and Franco Faccio to get the retired Verdi to collaborate with young Boito on a project, which resulted in ''

''. * In November 2001, ''Tell Giulio the Chocolate is Ready'', a radio play by Murray Dahm, was produced and broadcast by Radio New Zealand. The play is based on the letters of the Verdi-Boito correspondence and explores the genesis and production of Verdi and Boito's opera ''

''. The play and broadcast included those sections of the opera as they appeared in the correspondence (such as Iago's '' Credo'').

References

Notes Sources * Ashbrook, William (1998), "Boito, Arrigo", in

Stanley Sadie Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was an influential and prolific British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was pub ...

, (Ed.), ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...

'', Vol. One, pp. 527–529. London: Macmillan Publishers, Inc. 1998
"Arrigo Enrico Boïto"
''Opera Glass'' Composer Index, (Stanford University) on opera.stanford.edu. Retrieved 17 January 2014 *

Budden, Julian Julian Medforth Budden (9 April 1924 in Hoylake, Wirral – 28 February 2007 in Florence, Italy) was a British opera scholar, radio producer and broadcaster. He is particularly known for his three volumes on the operas of Giuseppe Verdi (publis ...

(1984), ''The Operas of Verdi, Volume 2: From Il Trovatore to La Forza del Destino''. London: Cassell. (hardcover) (paperback). *

(1984), ''The Operas of Verdi, Volume 3: From Don Carlos to Falstaff''. London: Cassell. * Businelli, Mariella; Giampiero Tintori (1986), ''Arrigo Boito, Musicista e Letteratto'', Nuove Edizioni * D'Angelo, Emanuele (2007), "Arrigo Boito", in ''Encyclopedia of Italian Literary Studies'', edited by Gaetana Marrone. New York: Routledge. Vol. 1, pp. 271–274. * D'Angelo, Emanuele (2010), ''Arrigo Boito drammaturgo per musica: Idee, visioni, forma e battaglie'', Venezia, Marsilio. * De Van, Gilles (trans. Gilda Roberts) (1998), ''Verdi's Theater: Creating Drama Through Music''. Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press. (hardback), * Kimball, David (2001), in Holden, Amanda (Ed.), ''The New Penguin Opera Guide'', New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. * Maeder, Costantino, ''Il real fu dolore e l'ideal sogno. Arrigo Boito e i limiti dell'arte'', Cesati: Firenze, 2002. * Parker, Roger (1998), "''Simon Boccanegra"'', in