Apart from this being somewhat standard practice, another reason is noted by Gabiele Baldini in The Story of Giuseppe Verdi: the composer wanted to hear "la Lind and modify her role to suit her more exactly." Verdi left Italy at the end of May 1847, accompanied by his long-time assistant and student Emanuele Muzio, with his work for London completed, except for the orchestration, which he left until the opera was in rehearsal. However, while Verdi had specified Fraschini, Budden notes that the management were not able to guarantee his presence and, besides, Muzio's "ear to the ground for news of the London opera season" had discovered that the preferred tenor there was Italo Gardoni, who did sing the premiere. Maffei himself worked to complete the libretto of the Schiller opera with the composer. Thus, I masnadieri became destined for London, but with the condition that both Jenny Lind and the tenor Fraschini would be available. In the end, the decision to present the opera Macbeth in Florence came about because of the availability of a suitable bass, which Florence produced in the form of Felice Varesi. With an offer to present a new opera in Florence, Verdi had the choice of two locations, Florence or London. Unfortunately, Verdi's health deteriorated and the premiere of the new work had to be postponed until 1847.ĭuring his period of recovery, one of Verdi's close friends, Andrea Maffei, a distinguished poet who had translated both Shakespeare and Schiller into Italian, suggested that Macbeth and Schiller's Die Räuber might provide suitable operatic subjects. Verdi accepted Lumley's proposal and production was scheduled for the world premiere of the new opera in the summer of 1846. Initially, the opera was to be Il corsaro based on the Byron poem of 1814, The Corsair. Three years later Verdi's Ernani received its first British production at his theatre to great public acclaim, which convinced Lumley that he should commission an opera from Verdi, who was by then emerging as Italy's leading composer. In 1842 Lumley took over the management of Her Majesty's Theatre, the traditional home of Italian opera in London.
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