show category: opera, Premiere

An opera with a prologue and three acts
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave (with additions by Giuseppe Montanelli), based on the play Simón Bocanegra by Antonio García Gutiérrez

Following the success of La Traviata at Teatro La Fenice in Venice in 1853, Verdi was invited in the spring of 1856 to compose a new opera for the same theatre. Together with librettist Francesco Maria Piave, he chose the tragic subject of the former Genoese corsair Simon Boccanegra, inspired by the Spanish play by García Gutiérrez. Demonstrating remarkable personal involvement, Verdi even provided a detailed outline of the action.

The premiere took place in Venice on March 12, 1857, in an atmosphere full of expectation. However, despite a strong cast, the opera was met with reservations, mainly due to a libretto considered confusing.

Synopsis

In 14th-century Genoa, the former corsair Simon Boccanegra is proposed as Doge (ruler of the city), in the hope that he might regain his beloved Maria, the daughter of the nobleman Fiesco. However, Maria dies, and the devastated Fiesco grows to hate Boccanegra. Twenty-five years later, Boccanegra discovers their long-lost daughter, Amelia, who has been raised under a different identity. Meanwhile, political rivalries and the schemes of the ambitious noble Paolo lead to Amelia’s abduction, betrayal, and even the Doge’s poisoning.

In a famous council scene, Boccanegra manages to quell the political chaos and bring former enemies together in the face of truth. In the end, as he lies on his deathbed, he reveals that Amelia is his daughter and Fiesco’s granddaughter, earning reconciliation with his old rival. With his final strength, he names Gabriele (Amelia’s beloved) as his successor, dying at peace.

Recommended age: 7+