Franchetti, (Baron) Alberto

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Franchetti, (Baron) Alberto (b Turin, 1860; d Viareggio, 1942). It. composer. Dir., Florence Cons., 1926–8. His considerable wealth enabled him to stage his 9 operas which incl. Asrael (1887), Cristoforo Colombo (1892), Germania (1902, CG 1907), La figlia di Jorio (1906), and Notte de Legenda (1915). Wrote sym. and chamber mus. Verdi recommended that he should comp. Cristoforo Colombo to mark 400th anniversary of discovery of America. Was offered Illica's lib. of Tosca by Ricordi before Puccini, but withdrew after some persuasion (and because he acknowledged that Puccini would write the better opera).

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