The field of opera libretto writing has been traditionally dominated by white, male composers. However, there were some notable black figures in the world of opera and born in the 18th and 19th centuries who made significant contributions in the field of performance and composition. William Henry Brown (1815-1884) was an African American actor, singer,… Read More
Librettists and Poets
Italian librettist and poet, Felice Romani
Giuseppe Felice Romani (1788-1865), also known as Felice Romani, was an Italian opera librettist of the 19th century. He was born in Milan and began his career as a lawyer before turning to literature and eventually opera libretto writing. Romani’s most famous works include the librettos for Bellini’s “Norma” and “I Puritani,” as well as… Read More
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, organist and composer
Josef Gabriel Rheinberger, born in Lichtenstein March 17, 1839, was a respected pianist, organist, and composer. Rheinberger was involved in the performances of Wagner‘s “Tristan und Isolde” and “Die Meistersinger” by the Royal Opera. Josef Rheinberger began serving as an organist in a Lichtenstein church at the age of 7. Rheinberger attended the Munich Conservatorium,… Read More
Featured composer: Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner (Richard Wagner), born May 22, 1813 and died February 13, 1883, was a German conductor, polemicist, dramatic composer and theorist. Wagner had a revolutionary influence over the course of Western music. Unique to most opera composers is the fact that Wagner wrote both the libretto and music for each of his stage… Read More
Featured composer: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
Fanny Hensel, née Fanny [Cäcilie] Mendelssohn Bartholdy (November 14, 1805 – May 14, 1847) had a lifelong dream of being considered a serious composer. It is said that her talent was equal to and perhaps surpassed that of her famous brother, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. Fanny and Felix were children of Abraham and Lea Mendelssohn. When Napoleon’s… Read More
La clemenza di Tito as set by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
La clemenza di Tito is an opera in two acts that premiered at the Estates Theatre in Prague on September 6, 1791, just a few hours following the coronation of Leopold II, Roman Emperor, as King of Bohemia. In 1791, impresario Domenico Guardasoni commissioned Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to compose an opera seria in honor of the coronation of Leopold… Read More
Three Mozart Opera Librettos written by Lorenzo da Ponte
Lorenzo da Ponte (March 10, 1749 – August 17, 1838) was an Italian (later American) poet and opera librettist who is remembered today for his librettos for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s three most famous operas: Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosí fan tutte. Born into a Jewish family, his father, upon the death of Lorenzo’s mother,… Read More