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67-450: Verdi bought the farmland in 1844 before commissioning the house, which his parents occupied starting in 1848 and which was completed, after various stops and starts, in 1880. After the death of Verdi's mother his father moved into town, i.e. Busseto. Verdi and Giuseppina Strepponi , the opera singer with whom he lived prior to their 1859 marriage, moved into the Villa in 1851. There had been

134-406: A deathmask. Visitors are also able to see Verdi's coaches and tour the park containing over 100 varieties of tree and the ice house. 45°0′20.7″N 10°2′9.4″E  /  45.005750°N 10.035944°E  / 45.005750; 10.035944 Giuseppina Strepponi Clelia Maria Giuseppa (Giuseppina) Strepponi ( Lodi , 8 September 1815 – Villanova sull'Arda , 14 November 1897)

201-417: A farmhouse on the property when Verdi bought it, and the composer's building work began as extended wings onto it. But the project grew such that the original home was replaced: the two wings had terraces to the front, and there were greenhouses added and a chapel and garages for coaches in the rear. Strepponi and Verdi greatly expanded the garden around the house and planted many trees, some exotic in origin and

268-510: A few still alive. Apart from his visits to European cities, sometimes wintering in Genoa, and part of the winters of 1862 and 1863 in Russia for the premiere of La forza del destino , most of Verdi's life was lived at the Villa. After Strepponi's death in 1897, Verdi spent less time there. He personally oversaw the management of the estate and ran a profitable farming business. Today, the Villa

335-441: A hermit. Contemporary critical reactions to Verdi's first effort were mixed, as noted by scholar Francis Toye , writing in 1931, when he quoted two Milanese critics: Julian Budden comments on the performance reviews of the time, especially one which indicates that Verdi's music was not inspired by Donizetti , Bellini , Mercadante nor Rossini , and he states "in detail it owes a little to all of them. But what finally emerges

402-401: A letter from her to Verdi two weeks before the premiere urges him to "hurry up and give OUR [her caps] Trovatore ". In other respects, she offered him much advice and, as Walker recalls from her account of being curled up in an armchair nearby, all the while offering comments and criticism while Verdi was composing, he speculates that "she must have sung many of these world-famous melodies for

469-399: A man with small eyes and next to him a woman, Giuseppina, who looked more like an old bird, but ultimately concluded: "a beautiful and charming couple who grew up together and grew old in the music world." In those years, Strepponi frequently suffered from stomach problems and arthritis and during her last year of life she could barely move from her bed. In the autumn of 1897, when the couple

536-413: A nearby room and invites Riccardo and his guests to join her. Upon entering, Cuniza reveals Leonora's presence and accuses her lover of infidelity. Riccardo's accusations against Leonora prompt her father to enter and challenge Riccardo to a duel. Scene 1: The princess's private apartments Cuniza and Imelda are alone and the servant announces that Riccardo wishes to speak to her mistress. Cuniza laments

603-519: A series of letters from 1835 to 1837 he informed him about the progress towards writing his first opera using a libretto supplied by Massini which had been written by Antonio Piazza, a Milanese "journalist and man of letters". By then it had been given the title of Rocester and the young composer expressed hopes of a production in Parma. However, Parma was not interested in new works and so approaches were made to Milan. Whether Rocester actually became

670-601: A somewhat limited success at La Scala, did receive revivals over the following three years, during which Verdi took the opportunity to compose new numbers or supply new or revised music to fit particular voices. It appeared in Turin and Milan in 1840, the latter in the autumn after the failure of Verdi's second opera, Un giorno di regno ; again, it was seen in Naples and Genoa (both in 1841), and in Barcelona in 1842. The opera

737-574: A student of Lavigna's some years before) was one of a group of three theatrical agents under Lanari who took responsibility for Strepponi from Milan after the early months of 1837. He also engaged her for the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice, but it was not uncommon for her to work under other impresarios. However, she became pregnant around March/April 1837 and she stopped singing only about a month before her first child, Camillo Luigi Antonio,

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804-690: A trio brought mention in the Gazzetta privilegiata di Milano of 29 September 1834, where it was noted that her vocal qualities, "will be a fine acquisition, when the time comes, for the Italian stage". Strepponi made her professional opera début in December 1834 as Adria in Luigi Ricci 's Chiara di Rosembergh at the Teatro Orfeo. She had her first major success during the following spring at

871-587: A very good friend and that "it is possible that he had been Camillino's godfather, and given him his Christian name". However, sometime in the Spring of 1838, Strepponi became pregnant again and, in Florence on 9 February 1839, she gave birth to her second child, Giuseppina Fausta, only a few hours after completing a performance at the Teatro Alfieri and before leaving for an engagement in Venice. The child

938-504: A welcome to the happy bride but, alone with Riccardo, Cuniza expresses some forebodings in spite of expressing her love for him. ( Questa gioia che il petto m'inonda – "This joy that overwhelms my breast is mingled with a mysterious fear"). After the couple leaves, Leonora enters and is questioned by Imelda. Leonora tells her that her father, Oberto, is also in the palace and, when he enters, she tells Cuniza about her betrayal by Riccardo. Cuniza agrees to help them. She then hides Oberto in

1005-629: A year to recover. Strepponi continued to remain a highly popular singer during the early 1840s. She notably sang the title role in Donizetti's Adelia in 1841 at the Teatro Apollo in Rome, a role written specifically for her by the composer. This was followed by a critically acclaimed portrayal as Abigaille in the world premiere of Verdi's Nabucco at La Scala in 1842. She reprised the role of Abigaille in several opera houses throughout Italy

1072-535: Is an opera in two acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera , based on an existing libretto by Antonio Piazza  [ it ] probably called Rocester . It was Verdi's first opera, written over a period of four years, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala , Milan , on 17 November 1839. The La Scala production enjoyed "a fair success" and the theatre's impresario, Bartolomeo Merelli , commissioned two further operas from

1139-449: Is often subtly different, with a flavour of its own. Above all, it has that ultra-Verdian quality of gathering momentum as it proceeds." Given the need at the time for composers to take into account singers' strengths and weaknesses, Verdi's writing for the four principals (rather than the more conventional three of that era) who became the cast for the premiere of Oberto well accommodated the limitations of Mary Shaw's voice and played to

1206-471: Is owned by four siblings who are descendants of Verdi's younger cousin, Maria Filomena Verdi, whom Verdi and his wife brought up as a daughter. This is the Carrara-Verdi family, and they live year-round in parts of the Villa. Starting in 2010, Angiolo Carrara Verdi has been managing Villa Verdi which is also partly used as a museum. Visitors are allowed to view five rooms located on the ground floor of

1273-547: Is welcomed by a chorus as he is about to enter Ezzelino's palace. He sings of his joy at being close to Cuniza ( Son fra voi! Già sorto è il giorno...Già parmi udire il fremito – "Here I am amongst you! The day hasted by my desire has now arrived"). They enter the castle. Leonora arrives swearing to avenge Riccardo's desertion and she sings of the love which she had and a hope of recovering those innocent days ( Sotto il paterno tetto...Oh potessi nel mio core - "Beneath my father's roof an angel appeared to me"). She leaves to go towards

1340-508: The Lombard region of Italy. She was the oldest child of Rosa Cornalba and Feliciano Strepponi (1797–1832), who was the organist at Monza Cathedral and a moderately successful opera composer, his works having been performed in theatres in Milan, Turin and Trieste. Her first music lessons were with her father who focused mainly on teaching her to play the piano, but in 1830 she was enrolled in

1407-531: The Milan Conservatory although just over the age of 15. After her father's death at the age of 35 in 1832 of encephalitis , she was able to continue studying singing and the piano as a non-paying pupil at the Conservatory where she notably won first prize for bel canto during her final year in 1834. Her performance of the cavatina from Beatrice di Tenda and for her parts in both a duet and

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1474-676: The San Diego Opera gave the US professional premiere in March 1985 with Ferruccio Furlanetto and Susanne Marsee in the major roles. It is also claimed that Vincent La Selva (of the New York Grand Opera) gave the first New York presentation of the opera as part of the company's comprehensive and chronological "Viva Verdi" series which began in 1994 and which launched performances of all Verdi's operas. Opera North presented

1541-752: The Teatro Grande in Trieste singing the title role in Rossini 's Matilde di Shabran . This success quickly led to numerous engagements at major opera houses throughout Italy and Giuseppina soon became her family's major breadwinner. In the summer of 1835, she went to Austria to sing Adalgisa in Bellini's Norma and Amina in Bellini's La sonnambula at the Theater am Kärntnertor in Vienna where she

1608-547: The Teatro La Fenice in Venice . In Spring 1837, she went under contract with Alessandro Lanari of Florence, then known as "the king of impresarios", who was able to secure important engagements for her in the years following. However, within a very short time, she found herself pregnant and had to sing through three pregnancies during the time with Lanari. That same year she reprised the role of Elvira and portrayed

1675-924: The ABAO in Bilbao , Spain , gave performances in January 2007, as part of their "Tutto Verdi" series; and the Teatro Regio di Parma gave it in October 2007 as part of their on-going "Festival Verdi". In 2010 the Berliner Operngruppe under Felix Krieger presented the work in a concert performance in Berlin . In celebration of the Verdi bicentennial, it was staged by La Scala in April/May 2013. Before

1742-600: The Palazzo Orlandi. The reaction of many of the people of Busseto towards Giuseppina, a woman of the theatre living openly with the composer in an unmarried state concerned Verdi, and as such, she was shunned in the town and at church. While Verdi could "treat the Bussetani with contempt ... Giuseppina, in the next few years, suffered greatly." From May 1851 they moved to Verdi's house in Sant'Agata just outside

1809-537: The action takes place, a battle has been fought between Oberto, Count of San Boniface, and the Salinguerra, led by Ezzelino da Romano. Oberto has lost and has retreated to Mantua. Meanwhile, his daughter Leonora has been seduced and abandoned by Riccardo, Count of Salinguerra, and Riccardo is about to marry Cuniza, Ezzelino's sister. Leonora makes her way to Bassano on Riccardo's wedding day, intent on confronting him. Scene 1: The countryside near Bassano Riccardo

1876-459: The baby with a couple, the Vianellos, who took in illegitimate children. However, the child died of dysentery on 4 October 1842. Strepponi left for Venice with Cirelli with whom she had been living in Milan as a common law wife. An early 20th-century biography of Verdi, as well as one written in 1938 about Strepponi's life by Mercede Mandula, both propose that Strepponi became Merelli's lover in

1943-725: The basis for Oberto when Verdi was able to return to Milan in February 1839 after fulfilling two and a half years of his contract in Busseto is subject to some disagreement amongst scholars. How much of Rocester remained visible in Oberto is discussed by Roger Parker, who does suggest that "in this shape-shifting tendency, the opera was, of course, very much of its time." In his recollections in 1881 (quoted in Budden) following his return to Milan from Busseto in 1838, Verdi describes how he

2010-840: The child was born prematurely and there was no time for her to be taken to somewhere private for the birth. In late 1838, Lanari and Bartolomeo Merelli , the impresario of La Scala, had negotiated for Strepponi, Moriani, and Ronconi to appear in La Scala for the following spring season, but they had both been horrified to find out in early January that she was five months pregnant, and that this would cause her to be unavailable. But in February 1839 in Florence, she sang in Il giuramento with such dramatic intensity that it appears to have caused her to miscarry and, by necessity, withdraw from further performances for some time. Increasingly pressured by Lanari, she finally relented to appear at La Fenice, where she

2077-512: The different people involved in her life, put Strepponi together with only one man at the time that the three children must have been conceived. He concludes that it is the only man who must have been the father of the first two children, and who was then the prospective father of the third: it is Napoleone Moriani. Giuseppina had given birth to a girl in Trieste on 4 November 1841, Adelina Rosa Maria Carolina Strepponi. It appears that she then left

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2144-536: The early 1840s and it is claimed that this relationship resulted in another illegitimate child. However, this account is vehemently disputed by both Frank Walker, who declares "but it is not true: it is fiction", as well as biographer Gabriele Baldini, who states "that it is certain that Giuseppina was not Merelli's lover, that she had no sons by him ...". Verdi's biographer, Mary Jane Phillips-Matz , in her account of Strepponi's life both before and after becoming Verdi's partner and then his wife, lays out in detail

2211-444: The existence of "the despicable M ..." (and in another letter, he is "Mr. Mo..."), and she asks that he "kindly remind him of the important sum of money that through your offices he has agreed to pay." On 16 August she wrote again to Lanari, stating that "I have been too cruelly treated under the mantle of love ... But I do not wish him ill." All of Frank Walker's investigations, using letters and performance histories of

2278-459: The failure of Un giorno di regno , the role of Cuniza was sung by Luigia Abbadia and it was for her that Verdi wrote an entrance aria in act 1 and a duet for Cuniza and Riccardo also in act 1, the latter described as being "full of that intensely condensed melodic expressiveness that will characterise the best of his early music. It is on quite a different level of invention from the rest of Oberto . Toye notes that, in spite of its weaknesses,

2345-565: The first time from the manuscript sketches." At one point he took her advice not to have to compose on order by a certain date, but to find a suitable subject, then compose the music at his own convenience and then find a suitable venue and suitable singers, and he so informed Corticelli, the theatrical agent from Bologna. Their marriage was happy and Verdi was deeply saddened by her death at Sant'Agata in 1897. In 1894, Verdi and his wife made their last trip to Paris. Hungarian writer Dezső Szomori, who knew them at that time, then described Verdi as

2412-622: The following year, including the Teatro Regio di Parma and the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, which considerably aided the work's popularity. Also in 1843, she sang the roles of Elisabetta in Donizetti's Roberto Devereux and Imogene in Bellini's Il pirata in Bologna. Other notable roles for Strepponi during the early 1840s included the title role in Bellini's Norma , the Marchesa del Poggio in Verdi's Un giorno di regno , and

2479-541: The following year. 1836 saw his involvement in an April concert celebrating Emperor Ferdinand's birthday; for this he wrote a cantata in the Emperor's honour which received some praise. But it was after his return to his hometown of Busseto in 1835 to become director of the music school with a three-year contract that Verdi took advantage of the connection he had made to the Filarmonica's director, Pietro Massini. In

2546-472: The last which Strepponi gave with both Ronconi and Moriani, the latter then leaving for Vienna and Dresden, she and Ronconi going on to the other Italian towns. Later in the year, as the 1841–42 season was being planned, Walker states that "she knew quite well that she would not be able to carry out the whole of this programme, for she was again pregnant." During the following few months, letters between Strepponi and Lanari, in whom she had clearly confided, reveal

2613-503: The limits of her endurance" and that she would be obliged to give up her career or else she would become a consumptive. She persisted with Nabucco , singing all eight performances of Verdi's opera: in her words to Lanari, "I dragged myself to the end of the performances" and then told him that she had the possibility of an offer of marriage from a man who would only do so if she were free from contractual obligations. The doctors' conclusions would allow her to do that, but it took her more than

2680-1119: The love she had, but following her aria, Oh, chi torna l'ardente pensiero – "Oh, who can turn my fevered thoughts", she instructs Imelda to tell Riccardo that he should return to Leonora, concluding in Più che i vezzi e lo splendore – "More persuasive to my conscience" that she has made the right decision. Scene 2: A remote place near the castle gardens The courtiers gather and express their sympathy for Leonora's plight. As they leave, Oberto enters, waiting for his rival to appear. He proclaims that he will seek vengeance: (Aria: L'orror del tradimento – "The horror of his betrayal"). The courtiers return to tell him that Cuniza has interceded on his behalf and that he has nothing to fear from Riccardo, but Oberto's thoughts still focus on vengeance. Riccardo finally arrives and they begin to fight, but are soon stopped by Cuniza who arrives with Leonora. Cuniza insists that Riccardo admit his infidelity and agrees to marry Leonora. Still determined to fight his rival, Oberto extracts an agreement from Riccardo that they will soon meet in

2747-421: The opera during the following few years where she appeared as Leonora in four of the five of them. Agreeing with Parker that the support given to "la Marini" helped with stagings of further performances from 1840 to 1843 (and, therefore, allowed the composer the opportunity to make additions and changes as these performances were played in different cities and with different singers). For the 1840 revival after

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2814-576: The opera during their 1994–5 season with John Tomlinson both directing and performing the title-role. The Royal Opera House , Covent Garden, gave a concert performance in June 1997 with Denyce Graves as Cuniza. Three opera companies, which plan to present all of Verdi's operas, have given this opera recently. Companies which intend to present all of the composer's works have included Oberto in their schedules in recent years. These are Sarasota Opera which staged it in 2001 as part of their "Verdi Cycle";

2881-456: The record of constant performances over several years has invited speculation about what that might have done to the quality of her voice in later years. Returning to Milan for rehearsals of Nabucco , she claimed that illness would prevent future performances in Vienna and asked to be relieved of that obligation. Lanari ordered a complete medical examination which concluded that she had "reached

2948-423: The retirement home for musicians which Verdi had created. Arturo Toscanini directed a choir of 900 singers in the famous Va, pensiero from Nabucco . DVD 'Giuseppe Verdi' 2005 published by 'House of knowledge' Semi documentary biography of the composer's life and works. Ronald Pickup. An excellent well-documented dramatisation. Notes Sources Oberto (opera) Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio

3015-626: The roles of Elena in Donizetti's Marino Faliero and the title role in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna . In 1838 she sang the title roles in Donizetti's Maria di Rudenz , Bellini's Beatrice di Tenda , and Carlo Coccia 's Caterina di Guisa at the Imperial Regio Teatro degli Avvalorati in Livorno . She made her La Scala debut in 1839, replacing Antonietta Marini-Rainieri , who

3082-624: The singer's history up to the time of Nabucco and her investigations have produced no evidence of the accuracy of the early scenario. In October 1846 Strepponi moved to Paris and became a singing teacher. She came out of her stage retirement briefly for one last opera appearance at the Comédie-Italienne which was not well received. Verdi, who was in England for the premiere of his opera I masnadieri in July 1847, returned via Paris and

3149-511: The south wing which were occupied by the composer and his wife. Other upstairs rooms were used by servants and guests. The rooms include Strepponi's own room with its original canopy bed, where she died in November 1897; the dressing room dominated today by the Fritz piano which Verdi used from the time of Rigoletto in 1851 to Aida in 1871; Verdi's bedroom where he slept and worked; plus

3216-471: The stage by the age of 31, in 1846 when she moved to Paris to become a singing teacher. While it is known that she had a professional relationship with Verdi from the time of his first opera, Oberto in 1839, they became a couple by 1847 when they lived together in Paris, then moved to Busseto in 1849, married in 1859, and remained together until the end of her life. Strepponi was born in the city of Lodi in

3283-545: The stage with tenor Napoleone Moriani and baritone Giorgio Ronconi . Donizetti wrote the title role of his opera Adelia specifically for Strepponi. She was described as possessing a "limpid, penetrating, smooth voice, seemly action, a lovely figure; and to Nature's liberal endowments she adds an excellent technique"; her "deep inner feeling" was also lauded. Both her personal and professional life were complicated by overwork, by at least three known pregnancies, and by her vocal deterioration which caused her to retire from

3350-408: The strengths of Antonietta Rainieri-Marini's in the lower register. Ignazio Marini, the bass who sang the title role, was "a performer of impressive vocal and dramatic range, for whom Verdi would later write the title role of Attila , notes Parker. He continues by adding that "la Marini" was undoubtedly grateful to Verdi in that it was she who quite probably helped to secure most of the revivals of

3417-516: The study off the bedroom, where Verdi generally kept his accounts, now contains piano scores and much memorabilia relating to Verdi's life. The final room, the Grand Hotel et de Milan room, contains the furniture from Room 157 of the Hotel de Milan which is located close to La Scala and where Verdi died on 27 January 1901. The room also contains the shirt which Verdi was wearing at his death, plus

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3484-762: The title role in Giovanni Pacini 's Saffo . Around 1844, Strepponi began to experience significant vocal problems, most likely brought on by her relentless performing schedule, which culminated in a disastrous season in Palermo in 1845, where she was booed by audiences. Her voice never recovered and she thereafter appeared only sporadically in operas until her retirement in February 1846. Most of her last performances were in operas by Verdi, including performances of Elvira in Ernani and Lucrezia Contarini in I due Foscari . Camillo Cirelli (whom Verdi had met while

3551-508: The town, which today is known as the Villa Verdi . Although unmarried until 1859, the couple remained together for the rest of their lives and she supported her husband in his career in many ways, her knowledge of French and English being especially useful. It is even thought that it was she who translated the original play by Antonio García Gutiérrez , El trovador of 1836, which became Il trovatore in 1853. Julian Budden notes that

3618-534: The two began a romantic relationship, with the composer remaining there for two years (albeit with short periods in Italy to firstly return to Milan in April 1848 after the nationalistic uprising there and then to oversee production of his new opera in Rome, La battaglia di Legnano in early 1849. The couple returned to Italy by July 1849 and began living together in Busseto , Verdi's hometown where they first lived at

3685-520: The village. Her father, Oberto, arrives, pleased to be back in his home country but unsure of Leonora's whereabouts. When Leonora returns, each is aware of the other's presence and father and daughter are reunited. They express amazement at having found each other again. But Oberto's initial anger at Leonora's actions quickly turns to fatherly affection as the pair makes plans to disrupt the wedding. Scene 2: A room in Ezzelino's palace The chorus sings

3752-561: The woods. Oberto leaves the group to go into the woods; all leave. Offstage, the sound of a duel in progress can be heard and it is followed by Riccardo's arrival. He realizes that he has killed Oberto (Aria: Ciel che feci? – "Heavens, what have I done!") and he is filled with remorse. Then Imelda and Cuniza appear explaining that Leonora is prostrate over the dead body of her father. Soon a letter arrives from Riccardo explaining that he has gone into exile leaving everything he possesses to Leonora. In her grief, she announces that she will become

3819-517: The young composer. During his student days in Milan, Verdi began the process of making connections to the world of music in that city which were to stand him in good stead. These included an introduction by his teacher Lavigna to an amateur choral group, the Società Filarmonica, where he functioned as rehearsal director and continuo player for Haydn 's The Creation in 1834, as well as conducting Rossini 's La cenerentola himself

3886-525: Was a nineteenth-century Italian operatic soprano of great renown and the second wife of composer Giuseppe Verdi . She is often credited with having contributed to Verdi's first successes, starring in a number of his early operas, including the role of Abigaille in the world premiere of Nabucco in 1842. A highly gifted singer, Strepponi excelled in the bel canto repertoire and spent much of her career portraying roles in operas by Vincenzo Bellini , Gaetano Donizetti , and Gioachino Rossini , often sharing

3953-503: Was a triumph in March. By April 1839 she was in Milan to fulfill those engagements, and her La Scala debut in I Puritani on 20th was another triumph. By March 1840, it appears that she may have given birth to a stillborn girl since Phillips-Matz notes that a combination of time taken out of her working schedule corresponds to around the 22 March records showing parents abandoning her in the parish in which she lived. Performances in Florence in March and early April 1841 in I Puritani were

4020-426: Was born in Turin in January 1838 and baptised as "Sterponi" (sic) . From her performance records of these two years, Frank Walker corroborates the fact that she was absent from the stage for about three months, and then began another hectic round of performances under an exclusive contract with Lanari announced in February 1838. Cirelli believed that he was the father, although Frank Walker states that he proved to be

4087-645: Was found unsuitable in the work's premiere performance, as Leonora in the first production of Giuseppe Verdi 's first opera Oberto . Strepponi's performance was considered one of the strongest aspects of this production and one of the main reasons that the work was received well. Other notable roles for Strepponi during the late 1830s include Elaisa in Saverio Mercadante 's Il giuramento , Adina in Donizetti 's L'elisir d'amore and Sandrina in Luigi Ricci 's Un'avventura di Scaramuccia . However,

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4154-415: Was invited to meet the La Scala impresario, Bartolomeo Merelli , who had heard a conversation about the music of the opera between soprano Giuseppina Strepponi and Giorgio Ronconi in which she praised it. Merelli then offered to put on Oberto during the 1839 season and, after its premiere, Oberto was given a respectable 13 additional performances. As noted by Roger Parker , the opera, while having

4221-457: Was once again preparing to spend the winter in Genoa in a more salubrious climate with proximity to the sea, Verdi made the decision to stay in Sant'Agata because his wife was bedridden. Giuseppina Strepponi died after a long illness on 14 November that year at Sant'Agata, due to pneumonia. She was initially buried in Milan . With the death of Giuseppina, Verdi became a widower for the second time and

4288-460: Was once again tormented by the pain of losing one of the most important figures in his life. When Verdi died in 1901 he left instructions in his will to be buried next to Giuseppina, but he was buried in the main cemetery of Milan. The desire to see the couple together in the afterlife eventually led on 26 February 1901 to the transfer of both of their bodies to the oratory of the Casa di Riposo in Milan,

4355-454: Was placed in the turnstile for abandoned infants at the Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence under the name of "Sinforosa Cirelli". These children were known as the esposti , "the exposed", or as described by Phillips-Matz, "society's trash". Cirelli, who had returned to Milan, initially denied paternity, believing that she had taken another lover. But Cirelli then accepted paternity when

4422-532: Was praised highly by audiences and critics. Although she was highly talented, she never sang outside Italy after 1835. Strepponi became a celebrity among opera singers during the late 1830s, arousing fanatical enthusiasm in performances throughout Italy. In 1836 she sang the roles of Ninetta in Rossini 's La gazza ladra , Elvira in Bellini 's I puritani , and the title role in Rossini's La Cenerentola at

4489-671: Was staged in Parma on 6 September 1913, but it is only occasionally performed today. The British premiere did not take place until 8 April 1965, and then only in a concert version at St Pancras Town Hall . It was not given a staged production until 17 February 1982 at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London. Its American premiere did not take place until 18 February 1978 at the Amato Theatre in New York City , although

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