''Bianca'' is a one act

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

by American composer Henry Kimball Hadley. The opera's

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

was an

English-language English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...

adaptation of

Carlo Goldoni Carlo Osvaldo Goldoni (, also , ; 25 February 1707 – 6 February 1793) was an Italian playwright and librettist from the Republic of Venice. His works include some of Italy's most famous and best-loved plays. Audiences have admired the plays ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

'' The Mistress of the Inn'' by Grant Stewart. Hadley finished the score in January 1917, and entered it in a competition for the best American opera without chorus, for which William Wade Hinshaw offered a $1000 prize and a promise to produce the opera in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

by the American Society of Singers. It won, and was produced on October 19, 1918, at the Park Theater in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, with the composer conducting, and soprano Maggie Teyte in the title role.

References

* Boardman, Herbert R. ''Henry Hadley: Ambassador of Harmony''. Banner Press, Emory University, Georgia (1932), pp. 131–132. One-act operas Operas by Henry Kimball Hadley Operas 1918 operas Operas based on plays Operas based on works by Carlo Goldoni English-language operas Works based on The Mistress of the Inn {{English-opera-stub