Amilcare Ponchielli
31 August 1834 — 16 January 1886
Amilcare Ponchielli was an Italian composer, mainly of operas. He was married to the soprano Teresina Brambilla. Although in his lifetime Ponchielli was very popular and influential, in introducing an enlarged orchestra and more complex orchestration, the only one of his operas regularly performed today is La Gioconda. It contains the great tenor romanza "Cielo e mar", a superb duet for tenor and baritone "Enzo Grimaldo", the soprano set-piece "Suicidio!", and the ballet music "The Dance of the Hours", known even to the non-musical from its use in Walt Disney's Fantasia in 1940, Allan Sherman's novelty song, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh", and other popular works.
Operas
| Opera | Premiere or date of written | Libretti available |
|---|---|---|
| La Gioconda | 1876, April 8 |
History
| August 31, 1834 | Italian opera composer Amilcare Ponchielli was born in Paderno Fasolaro near Cremona. He became best known for "La Gioconda" and later taught composers including Giacomo Puccini and Pietro Mascagni at the Milan Conservatory. |
| August 30, 1856 | Amilcare Ponchielli's opera "I promessi sposi", based on Alessandro Manzoni's celebrated novel, received its world premiere at the Teatro della Concordia in Cremona. Ponchielli later substantially revised the work for Milan. |
