Antonio Somma
Encyclopedia
Antonio Somma was an Italian
playwright
who is most well known for writing the libretto
of an opera which ultimately became Giuseppe Verdi
's Un ballo in maschera
in 1859. While a student, his tragedy, Parisina
, gave him quite a success.
However, Ballo had a troubled history and, originally, Somma wrote the libretto under the title of Gustavo III
. As a result of required changes by, firstly, the Naples
censors and then the Rome
censors, it became transformed into Un vendetta in domino (with a different setting and characters' names).
Finally, for its Rome premiere, the opera became Un ballo in maschera, but with another location change (this time to Boston
in colonial times) and further title and name changes.
Under Verdi's supervision, he also wrote the libretto for Re Lear
, a project that Verdi never realised musically although extensive work was done and a full libretto completed to the point where Verdi was considering this to be the opera he wrote for Naples.
Overall, he specialized in spoken plays and wrote no further libretti.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
who is most well known for writing the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
of an opera which ultimately became Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
in 1859. While a student, his tragedy, Parisina
Parisina
Parisina is a poem written by Byron. It was published on 13 February 1816 and probably written between 1812 and 1815.It is based on a story related by Edward Gibbon in his Miscellaneous Works about Niccolò III d'Este, one of the dukes of Ferrara who lived in the fifteenth century...
, gave him quite a success.
However, Ballo had a troubled history and, originally, Somma wrote the libretto under the title of Gustavo III
Gustavo III (Verdi)
Gustavo III is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi to a libretto begun in early 1857 by the Italian playwright Antonio Somma. Never performed during Verdi's lifetime, the opera was later revised and renamed Un ballo in maschera...
. As a result of required changes by, firstly, the Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
censors and then the Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
censors, it became transformed into Un vendetta in domino (with a different setting and characters' names).
Finally, for its Rome premiere, the opera became Un ballo in maschera, but with another location change (this time to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in colonial times) and further title and name changes.
Under Verdi's supervision, he also wrote the libretto for Re Lear
Re Lear
Re Lear is an Italian operatic libretto in four acts written by Antonio Somma for Giuseppe Verdi , based on King Lear, "the Shakespeare play with which Verdi struggled for so many years, but without success" ....
, a project that Verdi never realised musically although extensive work was done and a full libretto completed to the point where Verdi was considering this to be the opera he wrote for Naples.
Overall, he specialized in spoken plays and wrote no further libretti.