Felice Romani

Felice Romani was the most sought-after Italian librettist of his dayBlack, J. (1992) 'Romani, Felice', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 17-19., and wrote the libretto of Verdi's Un giorno di regno, first set by Adalbert GyrowetzBlack, J. (1992) 'Romani, Felice', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 17-19.Wikipedia (2026) Felice Romani. (Accessed: 30 September 2026).. Trained in law, he turned to lettersBlack, J. (1992) 'Romani, Felice', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 17-19.Wikipedia (2026) Felice Romani. (Accessed: 30 September 2026). and, after two librettos for Simon Mayr in 1813, was engaged by La ScalaBlack, J. (1992) 'Romani, Felice', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 17-19.Wikipedia (2026) Felice Romani. (Accessed: 30 September 2026).. He wrote Bellini's Il pirata, La sonnambula and Norma, Donizetti's Anna Bolena and L'elisir d'amore and Rossini's Il turco in ItaliaBlack, J. (1992) 'Romani, Felice', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 17-19.Wikipedia (2026) Felice Romani. (Accessed: 30 September 2026)., taking most of his subjects from French literatureBlack, J. (1992) 'Romani, Felice', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 17-19.Wikipedia (2026) Felice Romani. (Accessed: 30 September 2026)., though he refused to write for ParisBlack, J. (1992) 'Romani, Felice', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 17-19.Wikipedia (2026) Felice Romani. (Accessed: 30 September 2026).. From 1834 he edited the Gazzetta ufficiale piemontese in TurinBlack, J. (1992) 'Romani, Felice', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 17-19.Wikipedia (2026) Felice Romani. (Accessed: 30 September 2026).. His wife, Emilia Branca, wrote his biographyBlack, J. (1992) 'Romani, Felice', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 4, pp. 17-19..