Francesca da Rimini

Title of several operas and musical works, based on Dante.

The opera by Generali (libretto by P Pola, based on Dante), was first produced at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice, Italy, on 26 December 1829.

The opera by Eduard Nápravník (libretto by O O Paleček and E P Ponomarev, based on a play by Stephen Phillips, Paolo and Francesca, and farther back on Dante), was first produced in St Petersburg, Russia, on 9 December 1902. It is derived from a part of Dante's Inferno. Francesca must marry the crippled Gianciotto, but she falls in love with his brother, Paolo. After learning of her infidelity, Gianciotto sets a trap and kills the pair.

Rachmaninov's opera on the same subject (libretto taken from scenes of Aleksandr Pushkin's play, with additions by Modest Tchaikovsky, based on Dante), was first produced in Moscow, Russia, on 24 January 1906.

Riccardo Zandonai's opera (libretto by T Ricordi, based on d'Annunzio's tragedy, and farther back on Dante), was first produced at the Teatro Regio, Turin, Italy, on 19 February 1914.

Tchaikovsky's symphonic fantasy, Op. 32 (based on Dante), was composed in 1876 and first performed in Moscow, Russia, on 9 March 1877.

There is also an unfinished opera by Herman Goetz, completed by Ernst Frank (libretto by the composer), which was first produced in Mannheim, Germany, on 30 September 1877.

See also Françoise de Rimini and Paolo e Francesca.