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2 unusual facts about Simon Boccanegra


Simon Boccanegra

In 1868, Giulio Ricordi suggested the idea of revisions to Boccanegra; the idea was again broached ten years later, early in 1879, but was shrugged off by Verdi with a note saying that the 1857 score, which had been sent to the composer for review, would remain untouched "just as you sent it to me".

Toye, Francis (1931), Giuseppe Verdi: His Life and Works, New York: Knopf


Carlo Cossutta

It marked the beginning of his reigning years at the Teatro Colón where he portrayed four roles in 1964: the title role in the world premiere of Alberto Ginastera's Don Rodrigo, Gabriele Adorno in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, Kalaf in Ferruccio Busoni's Turandot, and the title role in "Oedipus Rex" ((Stravinsky)).

Daniel Oren

His opera repertoire includes many Verdi operas, including Aida, Simon Boccanegra, La Traviata, Rigoletto and Nabucco; Puccini operas such as Madama Butterfly, Tosca and Turandot; as well as Andrea Chenier (Giordano), Norma (Bellini), La Juive (Halevy) and Carmen (Bizet).

Dmitri Hvorostovsky

In recent years Hvorostovsky's stage repertoire has almost entirely consisted of Verdi operas such as Un ballo in maschera, La traviata and Simon Boccanegra; he has appeared in Rigoletto and Il trovatore in a David McVicar production at the Metropolitan Opera with Sondra Radvanovsky.

Gabriele Santini

Considered one of great Verdi conductors of his generation, he left notable recordings of Simon Boccanegra and Don Carlos, both with Tito Gobbi and Boris Christoff, as well as La traviata with Maria Callas.

Johan Simons

In addition to directing plays, he has also directed several operas, including Verdi's Simon Boccanegra at the Opéra Bastille in 2006 and Mozart's Il Seraglio at the De Nederlandse Opera in 2008.

Otto Wiener

He was born in Vienna, joined the Vienna Boys' Choir at the age of six, and started his adult career as a concert singer before making his stage debut in 1953 at Graz in the title-role of Simon Boccanegra.


see also

Giuseppe Campora

His discography includes recordings of La forza del destino (1952), La Gioconda (1952), Madama Butterfly (with Renata Tebaldi, 1952), Simon Boccanegra (with Victoria de los Ángeles, Tito Gobbi and Boris Christoff, 1957), Tosca (with Tebaldi and Enzo Mascherini, 1952) and La traviata (1952).

Juan Pons

His commitments for 2003 included: Madama Butterfly at the Teatro Comunale in Florence, Andrea Chénier and Simon Boccanegra at the Teatro Regio di Torino, La Gioconda and Don Carlos at the Zurich Opera, Otello at the New National Theatre Tokyo, Aida at the Liceo of Barcelona.