Visconti, Luchino (1906–1976)

Italian film, opera, and theatre director. He pioneered neo-realist cinema with his film Ossessione (1942) despite its censorship by the fascist government. His later works include Rocco and His Brothers (1960), The Leopard (1963), The Damned (1969), and Death in Venice (1971).

His operatic productions were notable for taste, discretion, and fidelity to the composer's intentions. His first production was at La Scala, Milan, in 1954: La vestale, with Maria Callas. Later Milan productions with Callas included La sonnambula/The Sleepwalker, Anna Bolena, and Iphigénie en Tauride. His first production at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, was Don Carlos (1958); it was followed by Il trovatore/The Troubadour, La traviata, and Der Rosenkavalier/The Knight of the Rose. His work on Macbeth and Manon Lescaut (1972) at Spoleto was admired.

Visconti's stage work introduced Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Jean Cocteau to Italy.

As an alleged Marxist, he was notable in not allowing his views to colour his work, but nevertheless his powerful social commentary led to clashes with the Italian government and Roman Catholic Church.