- Antonio Ghislanzoni
Antonio Ghislanzoni (
25 November 1824 –July 16 1893 ) was an Italianjournalist ,poet , andnovelist who wrotelibrettos for Verdi, among other composers, of which the best known are "Aida " and the revised version of "La forza del destino ".Ghislanzoni was born in
Lecco ,Lombardy , and studied briefly in a seminary, but was expelled for bad conduct in 1841. He then decided to study medicine inPavia , but abandoned this after a short time to pursue a singing career as abaritone and to cultivate his literary interests.In 1848, stimulated by the nationalist ideas of Mazzini, Ghislanzoni founded several republican newspapers in
Milan but eventually had to take refuge inSwitzerland . While travelling to Rome, where he wanted to help defend the nascent republic, Ghislanzoni was arrested by the French and briefly detained inCorsica .In the mid-1850s, foresaking the stage, Ghislanzoni became intensvely active in journalism in the bohemian circles of Milan, serving as director of "Italia musicale" and editor of the "Gazzetta musicale di Milano". He also founded "L'uomo di pietra" the magazine "Rivista minima", collaborating with, among others,
Arrigo Boito .In 1869, Ghislanzoni retired from journalism and returned to his native Lombardy, where he dedicated himself to literature and writing libretti for operas. He wrote many short stories in verse and diverse novels including "Un suicidio a fior d'acqua" (1864), "Angioli nelle tenebre" (1865), "La contessa di Karolystria" (1883), "Abracadabra and Storia dell'avvenire" (1884). His novel of theatrical life "Gli artisti da teatro", (1865), was republished into the 20th century. He also published musical essays, the most important being "Reminiscenze artistiche".
Ghislanzoni wrote some eighty-five libretti, including "Edmea" for Catalani (1866), "Aida" (1870), "Fosca" (1873) and Salvator Rosa" (1874) for Gomes, "
I Lituani " for Ponchielli (1874) and the second version of "La forza del destino" (1869). He also contributed a few verses to the revised translation into Italian of Verdi's "Don Carlos ".Ghislanzoni died in Caprino,
Bergamo in 1893 at age 69.External links
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See also
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Scapigliatura
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