''Signa'' is an

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 ...

originally conceived in four acts with music by the British

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 ...

Frederic H. Cowen with a libretto by Gilbert Arthur à Beckett, with revisions by H.A. Rudall and Frederic Edward Weatherly after

Ouida Maria Louise Ramé (1 January 1839 – 25 January 1908), going by the name Marie Louise de la Ramée and known by the pseudonym Ouida ( ), was an English novelist. Ouida wrote more than 40 novels, as well as short stories, children's boo ...

, with an Italian translation by Giannandrea Mazzucato, first performed in a reduced three-act version at the

Teatro Dal Verme The Teatro Dal Verme is a theatre in Milan, Italy located on the Via San Giovanni sul Muro, on the site of the former private theatre the ''Politeama Ciniselli''. It was designed by Giuseppe Pestagalli to a commission from Count Francesco Dal Ve ...

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

on 12 November 1893. It was later given in a two-act version at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...

, London on 30 June 1894.

References

* Cowen, F. H., ''My Art and My Friends'', London, Arnold, 1913 * Sadie, S. (ed.) (1980) ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians'', 5. * Burton, N., ''Grove Music Online'' (ed. Macy, L.) . * Parker, C. J. (2007), unpublished Ph.D Thesis (University of Durham, U.K.): 'The Music of Sir Frederic Hymen Cowen (1852–1935): a Critical Study'. Operas 1893 operas English-language operas Operas by Frederic H. Cowen Operas based on novels Adaptations of works by Ouida {{English-opera-stub