Arrigo Boito

Arrigo Boito was a Renaissance man of 19th-century Italy, a composer, poet, critic, and libertine whose own ambitions often outstripped his output. As a young firebrand, he co-founded the Scapigliatura movement, which sought to revolutionize Italian art. His own monumental opera, 'Mefistofele,' was a notorious initial failure, though a revised version later found success. Boito's lasting legacy, however, was forged with his pen, not his baton. He became Giuseppe Verdi's trusted literary collaborator in the composer's old age, sculpting Shakespearean plays into taut, powerful librettos for 'Otello' and 'Falstaff.' These works crowned Verdi's career and are considered among the greatest operas ever written. Boito also provided the text for Ponchielli's 'La Gioconda.' He lived a life of artistic duality, torn between creating his own music and perfecting the words for others' genius.