Composition history Il furioso all'isola di San Domingo

jacopo ferretti, italian librettist , poet, 1784—1852

after completing l elisir d amore milan , being present first performance on 12 may 1832 successful, donizetti , wife, virginia, left rome. within few weeks of arrival, had signed contract write parisina florence and, rome, il furioso librettist ferretti. battaglia notes, composer:

it protagonist s drama intrigued him: man @ last, after many sorrowful female images on brink of madness innocent victims of prejudices , cruelty of people. [it was] man .

then couple moved on busy schedule in naples, included preparation became sancia di castiglia november premiere.

the first installment of il furioso s libretto arrived in august , process of composition , modification began. performances of sancia over, composer left rome furioso s first act , part of second act completed. of discussion between donizetti , ferretti had taken place means of letters during previous months (an unusual procedure composer, since worked librettist present). significantly, ashbrook points out, composer coins maxim ferretti s benefit: consists of making things small , beautiful, , not in singing lot , being boring .

in composition of opera, 1 thing stands out: power of baritone, 23-year-old giorgio ronconi whom 2 men writing role of cardenio. furioso first opera in donizetti has baritone hero.