Romani, Felice

POET, LIBRETTIST (ITALY)
BORN 31 Jan 1788, Genova, Liguria - DIED 28 Jan 1865, Moneglia, Liguria
GRAVE LOCATION Genova, Liguria: Cimitero monumentale di Staglieno, Piazzale Resasco (Boschetto irregolare)

Felice Romani is best known for his collaborations with the compoiser Donizetti and Bellini. He studied law and literature in Pisa ad Genoa. He travelled to France, Spain and Greece before he went Milan around 1812. He befrieded poets and other literary figures in that city and after refusing to become a court poet in Vienna he became opera librettist.

He wrote to librettos for Simon Mayr and the libretto for Lucrezia Borgia by Donizetti, based on the play by Victor Hugo. Hugo protested after it was staged in Paris in 1840 and it was rewritten as "La Rinegata" afterwards.

His collaboration with Bellini was very productive. He wrote many librettos for him, among them "Norma" and "Beatrice di Tenda". But they quarelled after a deadline was missed. Bellini used a libretto by Carlo Pepoli for "I Puritano". He wanted to return to Romani but he died in 1835 before he could write another opera. Romani was devastated and felt very sorry for their disagreements.

Romani became the editor of the Gazzetta Ufficiale Piemontese in Moneglia in 1834 and held this post until his death.

Related persons
• cooperated with Bellini, Vincenzo

Events
14/8/1814Premiere of Rossino's "Il turco in Italia" at La Scala in Milan. It was an opera buffa in two actes. The libretto was written by Felice Romano, based on an earlier libretto by Caterino Mazzolà that was used for an opera by Franz Seydelmann in 1788. Alessandro Rolla was the conductor and perfomers included Luigi Pacini, Francesca Maffei Festa, Filippo Galli and Giovanni David. [Rossini, Gioacchino]
12/3/1822Premiere of Meyerbeer's "L'esule di Granata" at La Scala in Milan. The libretto was written by Felice Romani. Meyerbeer himself was the conductor. Performers were Benedetta Rosmunda Pisaroni, Adelaide Tosi and Luigi Lablache. [Meyerbeer, Giacomo]
27/10/1827Premiere of Bellini's "Il Pirata" at La Scala in Milan. The Italian libretto was written by Felice Romani. Singers were Antonio Tamburini, Henriette Méric-Lalande, Giovanni Rubini and Marietta Sacchi. [Bellini, Vincenzo]
14/2/1829Premiere of Bellini's "La straniera" at La Scala in Milan. The libretto was written by Felice Romani. It was based on the novel "L'Étrangère" by Charles-Victor Prévot, vicomte d'Arlincourt. Performers included Henriette Méric-Lalande, Domenico Reina, Antonio Tamburini and Caroline Unger. [Bellini, Vincenzo][Unger, Caroline]
11/3/1830Premiere of Bellini's "I Capuleti e i Montecchi" at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. The libretto was written by Felice Romani. The part of Giuletta was sung by Rosalbina Caradori-Allan and Giuditta Grisi sang the part of Romeo. The premiere was a success but only eight performances were possible before the season at La Fenice closed in 21 March. [Bellini, Vincenzo][Caradori-Allan, Rosalbina]
6/3/1831Premiere of Bellini's opera "La sonnambula" at the Teatro Carcano in Milan. The libretto was writtn by Felice Romani and Nicola Zamboni Petrini was the conductor. Luciano Mariani was Count Rodolfo and Giuditta Pasta was Amina. Other singers were Giovanni Battista Rubini, Elisa Taccani, Lorenzo Biondi, Antonio Crippa and Felicita Baillou-Hilaret. [Bellini, Vincenzo]
16/3/1833Premiere of Bellini's "Beatrice di Tenda" at La Fenice in Venice. The libretto was by Felice Romani. [Bellini, Vincenzo]

Images

The grave of Felice Romani at the Cimitero monumentale di Staglieno, Genoa.
Picture by androom (03 Mar 2014)

 

Sources
Beatrice di Tenda - Wikipedia (EN)
Felice Romani - Wikipedia (EN)
I Capuleti e i Montecchi - Wikipedia (EN)
Il pirata - Wikipedia (EN)
Il turco in Italia - Wikipedia (EN)
L'esule di Granata - Wikipedia (EN)
La sonnambula - Wikipedia (EN)
La straniera - Wikipedia (EN)


Römer, Anneliese

Published: 18 Sep 2016
Last update: 30 Mar 2022