Biography

Jacopo Ferretti

Gender
Male
Nationality
Italian
Born
7/16/1784
Died
3/7/1852
Show Categories
Opera
Genres
Comedy, Romance

One of the most prolific opera librettists of the 19th century, Jacopo Ferretti's work was set to scores by composers including Donizetti, Mercadante, Pacini, Ricci, Rossi, Zingarelli, and Rossini. Ferretti was a master of the written word, and fluent in Latin, Ancient Greek, French and English, as well as his native Italian. But even this was not enough to earn him a living as a writer, and he worked in a tobacco factory for a large portion of his life.

Ferretti's first libretto, and now perhaps his most famous was actually a very last-minute affair. After multiple rejections, Ferretti and Rossini finally settled on the subject of La Cenerentola for a Christmas opera. Ferretti worked for days to put together his beautiful retelling of the Cinderella fairy tale, rushing to meet the deadline for the theatre manager.

Known For

La Cenerentola logo

Opera

Inspired by the fairy tale, Cendrillon, Cenerentola follows the story of a young woman who is forced...