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
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
Felice Romani - Wikipedia


Römer, Anneliese

Published: 18 Sep 2016
Last update: 30 Mar 2022