Boito

(bo-é’-td), Arrigo, Padua, Feb. 24, 1842—Milan, June 10, 1918; poet, soldier, novelist, editor, e ayist, librettist, and composer; son of an Italian painter and a Polish woman. Pupil, 1853-62, of Milan Cons., mus. incompetence (cf. VERDI); composed 2 cantatas, ‘‘J] 4 di Giugno” (1860), and ‘‘Le Sorelle d’Italia’”’ (1862), in collab. with Faccio; they met with such great succ. that the Govt. gave F. and B. funds for 2 years in Paris Germany. B. had taken up Goethe’s ‘‘Faust,’’ long before Gounod, at the suggestion of his bro. Camillo, an eminent architect. B. brought back from Germany a pa ion for Beethoven, then little heeded in Italy. 1867 at Paris, as journalist; then Poland, where he sketched out text and music of “Mefistofele,’ which was prod. at Milan, 1868 (La Scala), after 52 rehearsals, and with great hopes; but it was then in a rather shapele state, and Gounod’s ‘‘Faust”’ having meanwhile been prod. at Milan with succ., B.’s work was hi ed by some, and having provoked riots and duels was withdrawn by order of the police. It was more attention to stage requirements and prod. with great succ. at Bologna, Oct. 4, 1875. An earlier opera, “Ero e Leandro,’ was never prod., B. bending his own libretto to Bottes in i, and later to Mancinelli. Faccio’s libretti of his are, Ponchielli’s “‘Gioconda,” Verdi’s “Otello” and ‘‘Falstaff,” ‘‘Amleto”’ Coronaro’s ‘‘Un Tram on to.” opera, ‘‘ Nerone,” on which he worked for many years and which was repeatedly announced for production, finally saw the stage posthumously when To scan in i cond. the work at La Scala, with great scenic splendour of production, May 1, 1924, before a distinguished international audience. Its succ. proved not to be lasting. B. translated 2 of Wagner’s libretti into Italian, and wrote often under the pseud. ‘‘Tobia Gorrio.”? The King made him ‘‘Cavaliere” and ‘“‘Commend a tore’’; 1892, Gen. of Technical Instruction in the Italian Cons. and Lyceums; 1895 Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.