- After several years of work on the opera, Boito premiered Mefistofele at La Scala in 1868. Boito wrote both the music and libretto, based on the legend of Faust.
- The notion of a composer writing their own libretto was highly unusual in Italian opera at the time.
- The opera’s premiere was disastrous. The original conductor (and Boito’s former teacher), Alberto Mazzucato, quit late in the rehearsal process over disagreements with Boito about cuts, leaving the (inexperienced) composer to conduct the performance himself. The work was also incredibly long and complex, which the audience did not receive well. Boito withdrew the opera after only two performances.
- Structurally and musically, the opera was much more akin to Wagner’s works, which was unfamiliar to Italian audiences.
- Beginning in 1871, Boito made significant revisions to Mefistofele, including shortening the work from five acts to four. The revised version premiered in 1875 in Bologna and was much more successful.
- While the opera as a whole isn’t performed often today, two moments remain relatively popular: the Prologue and the Prison Scene.1
Sources
- William Ashbrook, “Boito, Arrigo,” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed October 12, 2026, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000003430.
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