Opera Quiz: How Well Do You Know the 19th Century Italian Librettists?

By David Salazar

We all know about Verdi, Donizetti, Rossini, Bellini, Puccini, Giordano, and the great Italian composers of the 19th century. We often attribute opera’s greatest gems to them, remembering every gorgeous melody and the potent emotions that they create for us.

But they don’t deserve all the credit.

In fact, without the text, most of these composers don’t write their music. And let’s be honest, how many of us can disassociate a great melody from its text.

“Sempre libera.”

“La donna e mobile.”

“Nessun dorma.”

“O soave fanciulla.”

“Un di all’azzurro spazio…”

“Una furtiva lagrima.”

“Largo al factotum.”

You get it. These words automatically remind us of the music associated with them. And we owe those words to the great Italian librettists of the 18th century, many who are often overlooked in favor their more famous musical counterparts.

So in this edition of the Opera Quiz, we ask you how well you actually know those key figures to the operatic process. Let’s find out.

 

Categories

Opera Quiz