Giovanni Schmidt ( in
Livorno
Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...
– in
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
) was an Italian
librettist
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. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major ...
.
Life
He moved to
Naples
Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...
while he was still young and stayed there for the rest of his life. Between 1800 and 1839 he wrote libretti for 45 operas, especially for the
Teatro San Carlo
The Real Teatro di San Carlo ("Royal Theatre of Saint Charles"), as originally named by the Bourbon monarchy but today known simply as the Teatro (di) San Carlo, is a historic opera house in Naples, Italy, connected to the Royal Palace and a ...
for which he was the official poet. He and
Andrea Leone Tottola
Andrea Leone Tottola (died 15 September 1831) was a prolific Italian librettist, best known for his work with Gaetano Donizetti and Gioachino Rossini.
It is not known when or where he was born. He became the official poet to the royal theatres ...
were the two librettists who dominated theatrical life in Naples in the first quarter of the 19th century. His lyrics were mostly banal and verbose, but were set by the most important composers of the era, such as
Giacomo Tritto
Giacomo Domenico Mario Antonio Pasquale Giuseppe Di Tritto (2 April 1733 – 16 September 1824) was an Italian composer, known primarily for his fifty-four operas. He was born in Altamura, and studied in Naples; among his teachers were Nicola ...
,
Gaetano Andreozzi,
Luigi Mosca,
Pietro Generali
Pietro Generali (born Mercandetti Generali; 23 October 1773 – 3 November 1832) was an Italian composer primarily of operas and vocal music.
Generali was born in Masserano. He studied counterpoint with Giovanni Masi in Rome and spent a few m ...
,
Saverio Mercadante
Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante (baptised 17 September 179517 December 1870) was an Italian composer, particularly of operas. While Mercadante may not have retained the international celebrity of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti or Gioa ...
and
Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
. For Rossini alone he wrote texts for ''
Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra
''Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra'' (; ''Elizabeth, Queen of England'') is a ''dramma per musica'' or opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Giovanni Schmidt, from the play ''Il paggio di Leicester'' (''Leicester's Page'') by ...
'', ''
Eduardo e Cristina'', ''
Armida
Armida is the fictional character of a Saracen sorceress, created by the Italian late Renaissance poet Torquato Tasso. Description
In Tasso's epic '' Jerusalem Delivered'' (), Rinaldo is a fierce and determined warrior who is also honorabl ...
'' and ''
Adelaide di Borgogna'', which are considered his best works. He also appeared as a character in a scene from the
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
film ''
Rossini! Rossini!'' directed by
Mario Monicelli
Mario Alberto Ettore Monicelli (; 16 May 1915 – 29 November 2010) was an Italian film director and screenwriter, one of the masters of the ''commedia all'italiana'' ("Italian-style comedy"). He was nominated six times for an Academy Awards, Os ...
.
Works
Libretti
*''Meleagro'' (opera seria; music by
Nicola Antonio Zingarelli, 1798)
*''Idante ovvero I sacrifici d'Eccate'' (dramma per musica; music by
Marcos António Portugal
Marcos António da Fonseca Portugal (24 March 1762 – 17 February 1830), known as Marcos Portugal, or Marco Portogallo, was a Portuguese classical composer, who achieved great international fame for his operas.
Biography
Marcos António da ...
, 1800)
*''Gli americani'' (opera seria; music by
Giacomo Tritto
Giacomo Domenico Mario Antonio Pasquale Giuseppe Di Tritto (2 April 1733 – 16 September 1824) was an Italian composer, known primarily for his fifty-four operas. He was born in Altamura, and studied in Naples; among his teachers were Nicola ...
; 1802)
*''Piramo e Tisbe'' (opera seria; music by
Gaetano Andreozzi, 1803)
*''
Leonora'' (dramma semiserio; music by
Ferdinando Paer
Ferdinando Paer (1 June 1771 – 3 May 1839) was an Italian composer known for his operas. He was of Austrian descent and used the German spelling Pär in application for printing in Venice, and later in France the spelling Paër.
Life
He was bor ...
, 1804)
*''Cesare in Egitto'' (opera seria; music by
Giacomo Tritto
Giacomo Domenico Mario Antonio Pasquale Giuseppe Di Tritto (2 April 1733 – 16 September 1824) was an Italian composer, known primarily for his fifty-four operas. He was born in Altamura, and studied in Naples; among his teachers were Nicola ...
, 1805)
*''Andromeda'' (opera seria; music by
Vittorio Trento, 1805)
*''Il salto di Leucade'' (music by
Luigi Mosca, 1812)
*''Ecuba'' (tragedia per musica; music by
Nicola Antonio Manfroce
Nicola Antonio Manfroce (20 February 1791, in Palmi, Calabria, Palmi – 9 July 1813, in Naples) was an Italian composer. His first work was a cantata for Napoleon's birthday, which was performed at the Neapolitan court on 15 August 1809.
Refe ...
, 1812)
*''
Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra
''Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra'' (; ''Elizabeth, Queen of England'') is a ''dramma per musica'' or opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Giovanni Schmidt, from the play ''Il paggio di Leicester'' (''Leicester's Page'') by ...
'' (dramma; music by
Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
, 1815)
*''
Armida
Armida is the fictional character of a Saracen sorceress, created by the Italian late Renaissance poet Torquato Tasso. Description
In Tasso's epic '' Jerusalem Delivered'' (), Rinaldo is a fierce and determined warrior who is also honorabl ...
'' (dramma; music by
Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
, 1817)
*''
Adelaide di Borgogna'' (dramma; music by
Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
, 1817)
*''
Eduardo e Cristina'' (dramma; music by
Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...
, 1819)
*''L'apoteosi d'Ercole'' (dramma per musica; music by
Saverio Mercadante
Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante (baptised 17 September 179517 December 1870) was an Italian composer, particularly of operas. While Mercadante may not have retained the international celebrity of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti or Gioa ...
, 1819)
*''Anacreonte in Samo'' (dramma per musica; music by
Saverio Mercadante
Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante (baptised 17 September 179517 December 1870) was an Italian composer, particularly of operas. While Mercadante may not have retained the international celebrity of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti or Gioa ...
, 1820)
*''Lo sposo in provincia'' (commedia; music by
Giacomo Cordella, 1821)
*''La sposa indiana'' (music by
Pietro Generali
Pietro Generali (born Mercandetti Generali; 23 October 1773 – 3 November 1832) was an Italian composer primarily of operas and vocal music.
Generali was born in Masserano. He studied counterpoint with Giovanni Masi in Rome and spent a few m ...
, 1822)
*''L'amante virtuoso'' (music by
Giuseppe Balducci, 1823)
*''Le nozze de' Sanniti'' (dramma per musica; music by
Pietro Raimondi, 1824)
*''Alessandro nelle Indie'' (dramma per musica; music by
Giovanni Pacini
Giovanni Pacini (11 February 17966 December 1867) was an Italian composer, best known for his operas. Pacini was born in Catania, Sicily, the son of the buffo Luigi Pacini, who was to appear in the premieres of many of Giovanni's operas. The fam ...
, 1824)
*''Anazilia'' (melodramma; music by
Giovanni Pacini
Giovanni Pacini (11 February 17966 December 1867) was an Italian composer, best known for his operas. Pacini was born in Catania, Sicily, the son of the buffo Luigi Pacini, who was to appear in the premieres of many of Giovanni's operas. The fam ...
, 1825)
*''Malvina'' (music by
Michele Costa, 1829)
*''Le nozze campestri'' (dramma per musica; music by
Giacomo Cordella, 1840; music by
Giuseppe Lillo
Giuseppe Lillo (26 February 1814 - 4 February 1863) was an Italian composer. He is best known for his operas which followed in the same vein of Gioachino Rossini. He also produced works for solo piano, a small amount of sacred music, and some ch ...
, 1840)
Other works
*''Cimarosa agli Elisi'' (sonetto; music by
Pietro Casella
Pietro is an Italian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
People
* Pietro I Candiano (c. 842–887), briefly the 16th Doge of Venice
* Pietro Tribuno (died 912), 17th Doge of Venice, from 887 to his death
* Pietro II Can ...
, 1801)
Bibliography
*''New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (2000)
* Pacini, Giovanni: ''Le mie memorie artistiche'' (Firenze, 1865)
* Rescigno, Edoardo: ''Dizionario rossiniano'' (2002)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmidt, Giovanni
1770s births
1839 deaths
Year of death uncertain
Italian opera librettists
Italian people of Austrian descent
18th-century Italian writers
18th-century Italian male writers
19th-century Italian writers
19th-century Italian male writers
Writers from Naples
Writers from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies