Antonio Smareglia
Encyclopedia
Antonio Smareglia was an Austro-Hungarian opera
composer
of Italian ethnicity.
(on the Istria
n peninsula, then located in Austria-Hungary
, now in Croatia
), in a house on Via Nettuno which still stands and in which there is now a small museum of his life and work. He was the sixth, but first surviving, child of an Italian father, Francesco Smareglia from Dignano
- and a Croatian mother - Giulia Stiglich from Ičići
. The composer chose to set his most famous opera, Nozze istriane
, in his father's village.
Smareglia married Maria Jetti Polla, and they had five children. He became blind at the age of 46. Various people took dictation from him including his sons Ariberto and Mario, and students and friends including Primo dalla Zonca, Gastone Zuccoli, and Vito Levi. Smareglia died in Grado
in 1929.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of Italian ethnicity.
Life
Antonio Smareglia was born in the town of PolaPula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
(on the Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
n peninsula, then located in Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, now in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
), in a house on Via Nettuno which still stands and in which there is now a small museum of his life and work. He was the sixth, but first surviving, child of an Italian father, Francesco Smareglia from Dignano
Vodnjan
-Geography:Vodnjan is situated 10 km north of Pula, on elevation of 135 m. It is located at the intersection of the main road Buje - Pula and the regional road Vodnjan - Fažana, as well as on the railroad Divača - Pula.-Demographics:...
- and a Croatian mother - Giulia Stiglich from Ičići
Ičići
Icici is a small place located in the north-east part of Istria, Croatia . It is located under a mountain Učka, on the north part of the Adriatic Sea....
. The composer chose to set his most famous opera, Nozze istriane
Nozze istriane
Nozze istriane is an opera in three acts by Antonio Smareglia to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It premiered on 28 March 1895 at the Teatro Comunale in Trieste.-Roles:-Synopsis:...
, in his father's village.
Smareglia married Maria Jetti Polla, and they had five children. He became blind at the age of 46. Various people took dictation from him including his sons Ariberto and Mario, and students and friends including Primo dalla Zonca, Gastone Zuccoli, and Vito Levi. Smareglia died in Grado
Grado, Italy
Grado is a town and comune in the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located on a peninsula of the Adriatic Sea between Venice and Trieste....
in 1929.
Works
- Caccia lontana (a one-act dramatic sketch, a student work, 1879)
- Preziosa (opera, 1879)
- Bianca da Cervia (opera, 1882)
- Re Nala (opera, 1887)
- Il vassallo di Szigeth (opera, 1889)
- Cornelio Schutt (revised as Pittori Fiamminghi, opera, 1893)
- Nozze istrianeNozze istrianeNozze istriane is an opera in three acts by Antonio Smareglia to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It premiered on 28 March 1895 at the Teatro Comunale in Trieste.-Roles:-Synopsis:...
(opera, 1895) - La falenaLa falenaLa falena is a leggenda or opera in three acts by composer Antonio Smareglia with an Italian libretto by Silvio Benco. The opera premiered at the Teatro Rossini in Venice on 6 September 1897.-Musical analysis:...
(opera, 1897) - OceànaOceàna (opera)Oceàna is an opera in three acts composed by Antonio Smareglia to a libretto in Italian by Silvio Benco. It premiered at La Scala on 22 January 1903 in a performance conducted by Arturo Toscanini.-Roles:...
(opera, 1903) - Abisso (1914)
External links
- Opinioni at www.la-poesia.it Short biography