Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2022 March 3

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

March 3

First American to Compose an Italian Opera

On September 16, 2021 I conducted the premiere of an opera - "Vite senza tempo" at the Teatro Verdi di Padova in Padua, Italy. One of my Italian colleagues mentioned that he thought I was the first American to compose and premiere an Italian opera. I and others have done some research and cannot find any other example.

My question is - do you know of any other American (USA) to compose and premiere an opera with an Italian libretto by an Italian writer (Vincenzo Faggiano) in an Italian theater (Teatro Verdi di Padova - Padua, Italy)?

Thank you.

Maestro Robert W. Butts — Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.76.13.143 (talk) 16:02, 3 March 2022 (UTC)

Gian Carlo Menotti was an American composer (though Italian by birth) and some of his operas have an Italian libretto as well as an English one, and they were definitely performed in Italy, but I don't think he can match all of your criteria. Xuxl (talk) 14:02, 4 March 2022 (UTC)

I saw him too, but he retained his Italian citizenship and was classified as an "enemy alien" during World War II. [1] As far as I can tell, all his post-war operas were in English. Alansplodge (talk) 22:55, 4 March 2022 (UTC)

It's a pretty specific request: first opera premiere by American composer with Italian libretto by Italian writer in Italian theatre. Start simple: how many operas are there by American composers with Italian libretti? --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆𝄐𝄇} 17:29, 7 March 2022 (UTC)

Much respect if you can find one. I couldn't. Alansplodge (talk) 18:37, 7 March 2022 (UTC)

yeah, opera stats are a lot harder to research than baseball stats. --jpgordon^{𝄢𝄆𝄐𝄇} 21:23, 7 March 2022 (UTC)