Mefistofele is the only completed opera by the Italian composer Arrigo Boito. It was premiered on March 5, 1868 at La Scala, Milan, and remains a popular work today. Sydney Opera House: one of the worlds most recognizable opera houses and landmarks Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content or primary entertainment is conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through the... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Arrigo Boito (February 24, 1842 – June 10, 1918) was an Italian poet, successful journalist, novelist and composer, best known today for his opera libretti and his own opera, Mefistofele. ... March 5 is the 64th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (65th in leap years). ... 1868 (MDCCCLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... La Scala by night This article is about the opera house. ... Milan (Italian: Milano; Milanese: Milán) is the main city of northern Italy, and is located in the plains of Lombardy, the most populated and developed region in Italy. ...

Mefistofele is one of many pieces of classical music to be based on the Faust legend. Like many other composers, Boito used Goethe's version as the basis for his work. Boito was a great admirer of Richard Wagner, and like him he wrote his own libretto. Classical music is a broad, somewhat imprecise term, referring to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, European art, ecclesiastical and concert music, encompassing a broad period from roughly 1000 to the present day. ... Faust (Latin Faustus) is the protagonist of a popular German tale of a pact with the Devil, assumed to be based on the figure of the German magician and alchemist Dr. Johann Georg Faust (approximately 1480-1540). ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. ... right|260px|thumb|Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 in Leipzig[1] – February 13, 1883 in Venice[2]) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... A libretto is the complete body of words used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, sacred or secular oratorio and cantata, musical, and ballet. ...

The premiere of the work in 1868 was a complete flop. The audience had heard beforehand that Boito planned to completely change the face of Italian opera, and reacted with hostility. As well as disliking specific scenes, such as the scene in the emperor's court, it is likely that the sheer length of the work was a problem for much of the audience. It has also been suggested that the singers at the premiere were sub-par. After just two performances, the opera was withdrawn. LeAnn Rimes singing in concert A singer is a type of musician who uses his or her voice to produce music. ...

Boito set to work revising the opera, and a largely rewritten version was premiered in Bologna in 1875, sung by what is generally regarded to be a very fine cast. Boito had greatly reduced the length of the work, and made many of the remaining scenes on a smaller scale. He had also rewritten the role of Faust, a baritone in the original version, for a tenor. The performance was a success. This change in reaction is thought to be due to a combination of Boito's work being in a more traditional Italian style, and also the Italian audience being more familiar with, and more willing to accept, modern developments in opera associated with Wagner. Bologna (pronounced , from Latin Bononia, Bulåggna in the local dialect) is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, between the Po River and the Apennines. ... 1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... In music, a baritone (from Greek βαρυτονος deeply, heavily sounding) is a male voice of intermediate pitch, between bass and tenor. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice (although not as high as the modern countertenor). ...

Boito made more minor revisions in 1876, and this definitive version was first performed in Venice on May 13, 1876. The first British and American performances, in London and New York City respectively, both came in 1880. It is nowadays probably the second most popular work based on Goethe's work after Gounod's Faust. Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venexia) , the city of canals, is the capital of the region of Veneto and of the province of Venice in Italy. ... May 13 is the 133rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (134th in leap years). ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... This article is about the British city. ... Nickname: The Big Apple, The Capital of the World Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Categories: Stub | 1818 births | 1893 deaths | Opera composers | Romantic composers | French musicians ...

Usage in popular culture

An excerpt of Margherita's aria "L'altra notte in fondo al mare" (Act III) was used in the opening of the 1997 song "Drifting Away" by Faithless. For the term meaning perfidy, see, for example recreant. ...

The opera was depicted in the film Batman Begins. "Folletto!...Folletto!" is shown being performed onstage. Batman Begins (2005) is an American Superhero film based on the comic book character created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. ...