Jacopo Ferretti

Jacopo Ferretti, Italian librettist and poet, 1784—1852

Jacopo Ferretti (16 July 1784 – 7 March 1852) was an Italian writer, poet and opera librettist. His name is sometimes written as Giacomo Ferretti.

He is most famous for having supplied the libretti for two operas composed by Rossini and for five operas composed by Donizetti.

Life

Introduced by his father to literature while very young, in addition to his native Italian, Ferretti mastered not only Latin and Ancient Greek but also French and English, and began writing verse early. Even though he worked in the tobacco industry from the age of about 30 until he was over 60, he was extremely prolific, writing "everything from love letter to odes and welcoming speeches",[1] and numerous opera libretti, all but the few listed below being generally forgotten.

His first big success was La Cenerentola, written at great speed for Rossini over Christmas in 1816. Ferretti wrote afterwards how he had agreed to write a libretto on a subject which the censor vetoed, so he met the composer and the theatre manager to discuss alternatives. He struggled to find a new subject that appealed, but about two dozen were rejected for one reason or another. At last, yawning wearily, Ferretti said "La Cenerentola" ("Cinderella") and at last Rossini decided he liked it, so Ferretti went home and began at once, worked night and day on it, and gave sections to Rossini on Christmas Day. Early on during the production there were problems, but Rossini predicted (correctly) that it would be a great success in the long term.[1]

Ferretti married the singer Teresa Terziani in 1820, and their house was continually visited by musicians and poets, including Donizetti who had been given a letter of introduction to Ferretti by Johann Simon Mayr. They became good friends after he arriving in Rome in October 1821 for the preparation of the production of his Zoraida di Granata, which became his first major success. Ferretti worked on revising Bartolomeo Merelli's libretto for the opera.[2]

Librettos by Ferretti

Altogether, Ferretti wrote about 70 librettos, the majority of which were for operas presented in Rome.[3]

TitleGenreSubdivisionsMusicPremièrePlace, theatreNotes
ingannoL'inganno dura poco, ossia Le nozze di don Madrigaleburletta2 actsJannoniCesare Jannoni1807/09/099 September 1807Rome, Teatro Valle
principessaLa principessa per ripiegodramma giocoso2 actsMorlacchiFrancesco Morlacchi1809/04/1515 April 1809Rome, Teatro ValleProbably after La villanella ingentilita by Francesco Saverio Zini
didoneLa Didonedramma serio3 actsFioravantiValentino Fioravanti1810/06/099 June 1810Rome, Teatro ValleAfter Didone abbandonata by Pietro Metastasio
Baldovinodramma serio ZingarelliNiccolò Antonio Zingarelli1811/00/001811Rome, Teatro Argentina
belloIl bello piace a tuttimelodramma giocoso1 actFioravantiValentino Fioravanti1811/00/001811
Berenice regina d'Armeniadramma per musica3 acts ZingarelliNiccolò Antonio Zingarelli1811/11/1212 November 1811Rome, Teatro ValleAfter Lucio Vero by Apostolo Zeno.
As Berenice in Armenia: music by Carlo Evasio Soliva, March 1817, Turin, Teatro Regio
Tito in Langresdramma serio2 actsdel fanteAntonio del Fante1813/01/044 January 1813Rome, Teatro Argentina
Amore assottiglia l'ingegnodramma buffo2 actsguglielmiPietro Carlo Guglielmi1814/12/2626 December 1814Rome, Teatro Valle
Rinaldo d'Astidramma buffo2 actscocciaCarlo Coccia1816/02/1717 February 1816Rome, Teatro Valle
cenerentolaLa Cenerentola, ossia La bontà in trionfodramma giocoso2 actsrossiniGioachino Rossini1817/01/2525 January 1817Rome, Teatro Valle
Polissenadramma giocoso3 actsrutiniFerdinando Rutini1817/02/1111 February 1817Rome, Teatro Argentina
Bartolommeo colla Cavallamelodramma buffo2 actspauselliAntonio Pauselli1817/10/00Autumn 1817Florence, Teatro della Pergola1827: Carlo Conti (as L'innocente in periglio); 1836: Paolo Lami; 1838: Massimiliano Quilici
Pulcinella impresario rutiniFerdinando Rutini1817/12/311817Rome
Scipione in Cartaginemelodramma serio2 actsmercadanteSaverio Mercadante1820/12/2626 December 1820Rome, Teatro Argentina
festaLa festa della riconoscenza o sia Il pellegrino biancomelodramma giocoso2 actsgrazioliFilippo Grazioli1821/01/2525 January 1821Rome, Teatro Apollo
Matilde di Shabran, o sia Bellezza, e cuor di ferromelodramma giocoso2 actsrossiniGioachino Rossini1821/02/2424 February 1821Rome, Teatro Apollo
capricciosaLa capricciosa ed il soldatomelodramma giocoso2 actscarafaMichele Carafa1821/12/2626 December 1821Rome, Teatro Apollo
Cesare in Egittomelodramma eroico2 actspaciniGiovanni Pacini1821/12/2626 December 1821Rome, Teatro Argentina
Zoraida di Granatamelodramma eroico2 actsdonizettiGaetano Donizetti1822/01/2828 January 1822Rome, Teatro ArgentinaContributed. After Bartolomeo Merelli
Amalia e Palmermelodramma2 actscelliFilippo Celli1822/09/1414 September 1822Teatro Argentina
Eufemio di Messinamelodramma eroico2 actscarafaMichele Carafa1822/12/2626 December 1822Rome, Teatro Argentina
corsaroIl corsaro, ovvero Un maestro di cappella al Maroccomelodramma giocoso2 actscelliFilippo Celli1822/12/2626 December 1822Rome, Teatro Valle
Amori ed armi 2 actscianciarelliFrancesco Cianciarelli1823/02/00Carnival 1823Rome, Teatro Valle
ajoL'ajo nell'imbarazzo, o Don Gregoriomelodramma giocoso2 actsdonizettiGaetano Donizetti1824/02/044 February 1824Rome, Teatro Valle
amiciGli amici di Siracusamelodramma eroico3 actsmercadanteSaverio Mercadante1824/02/077 February 1824Rome, Teatro Argentina
audaciaL'audacia fortunatadramma giocoso per musica sapienzaAntonio Sapienza1824/07/00Summer 1824Naples, Teatro del Fondo1827: Carlo Conti
Riccardo l'intrepidomelodramma2 actsbalducciGiuseppe Balducci1824/09/099 September 1824Rome, Teatro Valle
comunitàLa comunità di Castel Formicolone ovvero Le gelosie villanedramma giocoso2 actstrentoVittorio Trento1824/12/311824
civetteLe civette in apparenza o sia una Lezione ai maldicentimelodramma1 actgambaleLuigi Gambale1826/06/033 June 1826Rome, Teatro Valle
fedeltàLa fedeltà fra i boschi o sia Il taglialegna di Dombar grazioliFilippo Grazioli1826/09/00September 1826Rome, Teatro Valle
Olivo e Pasqualemelodramma giocoso2 actsdonizettiGaetano Donizetti1827/01/077 January 1827Rome, Teatro Valle
sposaLa sposa persiana gambaleLuigi Gambale1827/12/311827
scioccaLa sciocca per astuzia gambaleLuigi Gambale1828/02/077 February 1828Rome
orfanellaL'orfanella di Ginevramelodramma semiserio2 actsriccilLuigi Ricci1829/09/099 September 1829Rome, Teatro Valle
eroinaL'eroina del Messicomelodramma serio2 actsriccilLuigi Ricci1830/02/099 February 1830Rome, Teatro di Tordinona
corsaroIl corsaromelodramma romantico3 actspaciniGiovanni Pacini1831/01/1515 January 1831Rome, Teatro Apollo
nuovoIl nuovo Figaromelodramma giocoso2 actsriccilLuigi Ricci1832/02/1515 February 1832Parma, Nuovo Teatro Ducale
furiosoIl furioso all'isola di San Domingomelodramma2 actsdonizettiGaetano Donizetti1833/01/022 January 1833Rome, Teatro Valle
Torquato Tassomelodramma3 actsdonizettiGaetano Donizetti1833/09/099 September 1833Rome, Teatro Valle
cidIl Cidmelodramma serio2 actssavjLuigi Savj1834/01/2222 January 1834Parma, Nuovo Teatro Ducale
dueI due incognitimelodramma semiserio bornacciniFrancesco Bornacini1834/02/055 February 1834Rome, Teatro Valle
Eran due or son tremelodramma buffo2 actsriccilLuigi Ricci1834/05/1010 May 1834Venice, Teatro San Benedetto
casaLa casa disabitatamelodramma giocoso2 actsrossiLauro Rossi1834/08/1616 Augusst 1834Milan, Teatro alla Scala
Chi dura vincemelodramma eroicomico2 actsricciLuigi Ricci1834/12/2626 December 1834Rome, Teatro Valle
pazzaLa pazza per amoremelodramma semiserio2 actscoppolaPietro Antonio Coppola1835/02/1414 February 1835Rome, Teatro Valle
colonnelloIl colonnellomelodramma giocoso2 actsriccilLuigi Ricci and Federico Ricci1835/03/1414 March 1835Naples, Teatro del Fondo
Monsieur de Chalumeauxmelodramma comico2 actsriccifFederico Ricci1835/06/1414 June 1835Venice, Teatro San Benedetto
Giulietta ossia La fanciulla abbandonatamelodramma2 actsguglielmoPasquale Guglielmo1835/12/311835
disertoreIl disertore per amoremelodramma giocoso2 actsriccilLuigi Ricci and Federico Ricci1836/02/1313 February 1836Naples, Teatro del Fondo
festaLa festa della rosamelodramma giocoso2 actscoppolaPietro Antonio Coppola1836/06/2929 June 1836Vienna, Theater am Kärntnertor
Salvini e Adelsonmelodramma semiserio2 actssaviLuigi Savi1839/01/011839
sognoIl sogno punitoremelodramma3 actsgerliGiuseppe Gerli1839/01/011839
Furio Camillomelodramma tragico3 actspaciniGiovanni Pacini1839/12/2626 December 1839Rome, Teatro Apollo
Contraddizione e puntigliomelodramma giocoso simeoniMichele Simeoni1842/01/011842
Paolo e Virginiamelodramma semiserio3 actsaspaMario Aspa1843/04/2929 April 1843Rome, Teatro MetastasioAs Gli isolani: Davide Dugnani, 1857
follettoIl follettomelodramma giocoso2 actscoppolaPietro Antonio Coppola1843/06/1818 June 1843Rome, Teatro Valle
puntigliosoIl puntiglioso brancaccioAntonio Brancaccio1846/01/011846
Gismonda di Mendrisiotragedia lirica3 actsbadiaLuigi Badia1846/02/1010 February 1846Bologna, Teatro Comunale
figliaLa figlia di Figaromelodramma giocoso3 actsrossiLauro Rossi1846/04/1717 April 1846Vienna, Theater am Kärntnertor
cavaliereIl cavaliere di San Giorgio, ossia Il mulattomelodramma semiserio2 actslilloGiuseppe Lillo1846/10/00Autumn 1846Turin, Teatro Carignano

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 Opera Talent entry for Jacopo Ferretti
  2. Allit 1991, pp. 26—27
  3. Black 1998, p. 167

Other sources

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