Alberto Franchetti

Alberto Franchetti ( born September 18, 1860 in Turin, † August 4, 1942 in Viareggio ) was an Italian composer.

Biography

Franchetti was born into a wealthy banking family. He studied until 1884 in Munich with Josef Rheinberger and then in Dresden with Felix Draeseke. Here he wrote his Symphony in E minor.

From then on he devoted himself to the opera. In 1888 the premiere of his first opera Asrael took place. As Giuseppe Verdi was asked to 400 - year anniversary of the discovery of America by a Columbus Opera, he referred to Franchetti. After Cristoforo Colombo ( premiered 1892) emerged yet Fior d' Alpe (1894 ), Il Signor di Pourceaugnac (1897 ), Germania (UA March 1, 1902 under Arturo Toscanini ), La Figlia di Jorio ( libretto: D' Annunzio ) (1906 ), Notte di Leggenda (1915 ) and Glauco (1922 ).

Franchetti belonged to the circle admirer of Richard Wagner and was - among other honorary positions - Chairman of the Wagner Society of Bologna.

He was married twice. The marriage with Margherita Levi was divorced, for this purpose Franchetti had become a German citizen for several years, because in his home country, a divorce was not possible.

His operas were played all over the world. In the Third Reich, his works received performance ban because Franchetti Jewish descent. In Italy, his situation worsened through the acquisition of the Nuremberg race laws from 1938. After the war, his once so successful works have been only rarely performed. 1992 appeared in a CD production of the Hessischer Rundfunk a complete recording of the opera Christoforo Colombo with Renato Bruson in the title role, 2006 brought the German Opera Berlin in a production of artistic director Kirsten Harms Germania out, a production that was also released on DVD.

Works

Operas

• Asrael. Leggenda in 4 acts. Libretto by Ferdinando Fontana. UA February 11, 1888 Reggio Emilia
• Zoroastro. Libretto by Ferdinando Fontana (1890, only being considered, not composed )
• Cristoforo Colombo. Dramma lirico in four acts and an epilogue. Libretto: Luigi Illica. UA October 6, 1892 Genoa ( the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America ). Revised in 1897 (3rd and 4th act together ). Definitive version (3 acts and epilogue ): UA January 17, 1923
• Fior d' Alpe. Opera in 3 acts. Libretto: Leo di Castelnovo ( = Leopoldo bottle ). UA 1894 Milan
• Il signor di Pourceaugnac. Comica Opera in 3 acts. Libretto by Ferdinando Fontana (after Molière ). UA 1897 Milan
• Germania. Dramma lirico in a prologue and an epilogue 2 images. Libretto: Luigi Illica. UA March 11, 1902 Milan ( Scala)
• La figlia di Iorio. Tragedia pastoral in 3 acts. Libretto: Gabriele D' Annunzio. UA 1906 Milan
• Notte di leggenda. Tragedia lirica in one act Libretto: Giovacchino Forzano.UA January 14, 1915 Milan ( Scala)
• Giove a Pompei. Commedia musicale ( operetta ) in 3 acts (along with Umberto Giordano ). Libretto: Luigi Illica and Ettore Romagnoli. UA 1921 Rome
• Glauco. Opera in 3 acts. Libretto: Giovacchino Forzano. UA April 8, 1922 Naples
• Il Poggio finto ( The wrong Page ) (1924, not shown). Commedia musicale. Libretto: Giovacchino Forzano
• Il Gonfaloniere ( Standard Bearer ) (1927, fragment). Libretto: Giovacchino Forzano
• Kermesse. Post to: Fiori del Brabant. Azione coreografica ( festival ). Libretto: Giovacchino Forzano. Music: Alberto Franchetti, Pietro Mascagni ( Danza dei Gianduiotti e Giacomette ), Riccardo Zandonai, Alfredo Casella, Gian Francesco Malipiero, Pizzetti Ildebrando, Ottorino Respighi. UA February 10, 1930 in Turin ( Teatro Regio, on the occasion of the wedding of Umberto of Savoy and Marie José of Belgium)
• Don Napoleone ( Don Bonaparte ). Opera comica (1941, not shown). Libretto: Giovacchino Forzano
• Maria Egiziaca ( fragment missing). Libretto: Cesare Hanau and Ettore Albini

Instrumental works

• Idillio campestre ( Rural Idyll, 1878)
• Sinfonia in E minor (1885 )
• Nella foresta nera ( The Black Forest, 1900)
• Fantasia drammatica (1913 )

Vocal compositions

• Choral works
• Songs