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Raniero de' Calzabigi
Librettist

Biography

Ranieri de' Calzabigi (23 December 1714 – July 1795) was an Italian poet and librettist, most famous for his collaboration with the composer Christoph Willibald Gluck on his "reform" operas.

Born in Livorno, Calzabigi spent the 1750s in Paris, where he became a close friend of Casanova. Here he explored his interest in opera, producing an edition of the works of Metastasio, the most famous librettist of opera seria. However, Calzabigi was also impressed by French tragédie en musique, and eager to reform Italian opera by making it simpler and more dramatically effective. In 1761 he settled in Vienna, where he met likeminded reformers: Gluck; Count Giacomo Durazzo, the theatre director; Gasparo Angiolini, the choreographer; Giovanni Maria Quaglio, the set designer; and the castrato Gaetano Guadagni. Together they worked on Gluck's groundbreaking Orfeo ed Euridice in 1762. Calzabigi then wrote the libretto for Alceste, which further abandoned the practices of opera seria in favour of "noble simplicity". In the preface to this work, to which Gluck put his signature, Calzabigi set out his manifesto for reforming opera. A third collaboration, Paride ed Elena, followed in 1770. Calzabigi also contributed to the scenario of Gluck's reformist ballet, Don Juan, in 1761. La finta giardiniera, set by Pasquale Anfossi in 1774 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1775, has been ascribed to him, but this is now regarded as doubtful.

In 1775 Calzabigi was banished from the Viennese court as the result of a scandal and took up residence in Pisa, where he continued his literary activities until his death.


OPERA America/Opera.ca Grants Awarded
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GRANT NAMEYEAR
The Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Showcase 2021
The Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Showcase 2021


Productions
Click company name to view productions details.
COMPANYTITLEDATES
Opera in WilliamsburgOrfeo ed Euridice11/9/2025 - 11/14/2025
Dallas OperaOrpheus and Eurydice2/7/2025 - 2/15/2025
Metropolitan OperaOrfeo ed Euridice5/16/2024 - 6/8/2024
Opera AtelierOrpheus and Eurydice10/26/2023 - 11/1/2023
Edmonton OperaOrphee et Eurydice1/28/2023 - 2/3/2023
San Francisco OperaOrpheus and Eurydice11/15/2022 - 12/1/2022
Long Beach OperaQuando / Project "O"4/23/2022 - 4/24/2022
Seattle OperaOrpheus and Eurydice1/12/2022 - 1/30/2022
Vancouver OperaOrfeo ed Euridice12/4/2021 - 12/5/2021
Inland Northwest OperaOrpheus and Eurydice10/29/2021 - 10/31/2021
IN SeriesOrpheus and Eurydice9/23/2021 - 9/23/2021
Opera in WilliamsburgOrfeo ed Euridice12/15/2020 - 12/17/2020
Metropolitan OperaOrfeo ed Euridice10/20/2019 - 11/10/2019
West Edge OperaOrfeo ed Euridice8/4/2019 - 8/17/2019
Odyssey OperaParide ed Elena2/15/2019 - 2/17/2019
Portland OperaOrfeo ed Euridice7/27/2018 - 8/4/2018
Opera Theatre of Saint LouisOrfeo y Euridice6/9/2018 - 6/23/2018
Seattle OperaOrpheus and Eurydice6/2/2018 - 6/10/2018
Opera ColumbusOrphee et Eurydice4/20/2018 - 4/22/2018
Florida Grand OperaOrfeo ed Euridice3/17/2018 - 3/31/2018
Los Angeles OperaOrpheus and Eurydice3/10/2018 - 3/25/2018
Lyric Opera of ChicagoOrpheus and Eurydice9/23/2017 - 10/15/2017
Des Moines Metro OperaOrphee et Eurydice7/2/2016 - 7/15/2016
Arizona OperaOrfeo ed Euridice4/4/2012 - 4/22/2012
Opera Santa BarbaraOrphée et Euridice4/4/2012 - 4/29/2012
Seattle OperaOrpheus and Eurydice2/2/2012 - 3/10/2012
Canadian Opera CompanyOrfeo ed Euridice5/5/2011 - 5/28/2011
Metropolitan OperaOrfeo ed Euridice4/4/2011 - 5/14/2011
Palm Beach OperaOrfeo ed Euridice1/1/2011 - 1/23/2011
Minnesota OperaOrpheus and Eurydice9/9/2010 - 10/10/2010
Opera PhiladelphiaOrphée et Euridice6/6/2010 - 6/25/2010
Opera MemphisOrpheus and Eurydice1/1/2010 - 1/31/2010
Atlanta OperaOrfeo ed Euridice11/1/2009 - 11/21/2009
Santa Fe OperaAlceste8/5/2009 - 8/19/2009
West Bay OperaOrfeo ed Euridice2/20/2009 - 3/1/2009
Metropolitan OperaOrfeo ed Euridice1/1/2009 - 1/31/2009
Glimmerglass FestivalOrphée et Euridice8/28/2007 - 8/28/2007
Metropolitan OperaOrfeo ed Euridice5/5/2007 - 5/12/2007
Opera AtelierOrpheus and Eurydice4/4/2007 - 5/5/2007
Lyric Opera of ChicagoOrfeo ed Euridice2/2/2006 - 3/21/2006
Chattanooga SymphonyOrfeo ed Euridice9/1/2005 - 9/29/2005
Opera BostonAlceste1/1/2005 - 1/30/2005
Los Angeles OperaOrfeo ed Euridice11/28/2003 - 12/20/2003
Opera BirminghamOrfeo ed Euridice4/4/2003 - 4/6/2003
Anchorage OperaOrfeo ed Euridice11/11/2002 - 11/23/2002
Teatro Municipal De SantiagoOrfeo y Euridice5/5/2002 - 5/24/2002
Opera LafayetteOrphée et Euridice1/1/2002 - 1/1/2002
Opera ColoradoOrpheus and Eurydice5/5/2001 - 5/13/2001
Utah Symphony | Utah OperaOrphée et Euridice1/1/2000 - 1/23/2000
Virginia OperaOrfeo ed Euridice1/1/1999 - 2/14/1999
New York City OperaOrfeo ed Euridice10/9/1998 - 10/22/1998
The Cleveland OperaOrpheus and Eurydice2/2/1998 - 2/8/1998
Illinois Opera TheaterOrfeo ed Euridice4/4/1996 - 4/14/1996
Opera PacificOrfeo ed Euridice4/4/1996 - 4/25/1996
Opera AustraliaOrphée et Euridice1/1/1996 - 2/1/1996
San Francisco OperaOrpheus and Eurydice5/1/1995 - 5/18/1995
Opéra Français de New YorkOrpheus and Eurydice1/1/1995 - 1/12/1995
Opera AustraliaOrpheus and Eurydice8/1/1993 - 9/1/1993


Artist Information

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