Felice romani

Giuseppe Felice Romani 31 January — 28 January was an Italian poet and scholar of literature and mythology who wrote many librettos for the opera composers Donizetti and Bellini. Romani was considered the finest Italian librettist between Metastasio and Boito. Romani's expertise in French and antiquity is reflected in the libretti he wrote; the majority are based on French literature and many, such as Norma , use mythological sources.

Metastasio

After refusing a post at the University of Genoa, he appears to have travelled to France , Spain , Greece and Germany before returning to Milan in either or He turned down the post of court poet in Vienna , and began instead a career as an opera librettist. He wrote two librettos for the composer Simon Mayr , which resulted in his appointment as the librettist for La Scala.

Romani became the most highly regarded of all Italian librettists of his age, producing nearly one hundred. In spite of his interest in French literature, he refused to work in Paris. He also wrote a libretto originally for composer Adalbert Gyrowetz that Verdi used for his early comedy Un giorno di regno. Romani was considered an ideal match for Bellini, who is quoted as having said: "Give me good verses and I will give you good music".

Dramatic, even extravagant "situations" expressed in verses "designed to portray the passions in the liveliest manner" was what Bellini was looking for in a libretto, according to a letter to Francesco Florimo , of 4 August , and he found them in Romani.