I due Foscari
also The Two Foscari
opera · tragedia lirica
Composer Giuseppe Verdi
Librettist Francesco Maria Piave
Synopsis
Jacopo Foscari, son of the Doge of Venice, has come back from exile and stands trial for murder before the Council of Ten, where his enemy Loredano presses the case against him. His wife Lucrezia begs the Doge to save him, but the old man holds himself bound by the laws he governs by.
Key facts
- Premiere
- 3 November 1844, Teatro Argentina, Rome
- Acts
- 3
- Language
- Italian (it)
- Setting
- Venice, in 1457.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Francesco Foscari Doge of Venice. | baritone | Achille De Bassini |
| Jacopo Foscari The Doge's son. | tenor | Giacomo Roppa |
| Lucrezia Contarini Jacopo's wife. | soprano | Marianna Barbieri-Nini |
| Jacopo Loredano A member of the Council of Ten. | bass | Baldassare Miri |
| Barbarigo A senator, member of the Giunta. | tenor | Atanasio Pozzolini |
| Pisana Lucrezia's friend and confidante. | mezzo-soprano | Giulia Ricci |
| Fante del Consiglio dei Dieci An officer of the Council of Ten. | tenor | — |
| Servo del Doge The Doge's servant. | bass | — |
Source
- The Two Foscari by Lord Byron (1821)
Written from
- Budden, J. (1978) The operas of Verdi. Volume 1: From Oberto to Rigoletto. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 173-201.
- Wikipedia (2026) I due Foscari. (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The English article.
- Libretti d'opera (n.d.) I due Foscari. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
- Wikipedia (2026) I due Foscari. (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The Italian article.