Un giorno di regno, ossia il finto Stanislao (A One-Day Reign, or the false Stanislas) is an opera in two acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on the play Le faux Stanislas by Alexandre Vincent Pineu-Duval. First performance: Teatro alla Scala, Milan, September 5, 1840. The foyer of Charles Garniers Opéra, Paris, opened 1875 Opera is an art form consisting of a dramatic stage performance set to music. ... Giuseppe Verdi, by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 (National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome) Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (October 10, 1813 – January 27, 1901) was one of the great composers of Italian opera. ... A libretto is the body of words used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, oratorio, or musical. ... Felice Romani (1788 - 1865) was an Italian poet and scholar of literature and mythology who wrote many librettos for the opera composers Donizetti and Bellini. ... A play is a common form of literature, usually consisting chiefly of dialog between characters, and usually intended for performance rather than reading. ... La Scala The Teatro alla Scala (or La Scala for short), in Milan, Italy, is one of the worlds most famous opera houses. ... Location within Italy Piazza della Scala Milan (Italian: Milano; Milanese dialect: Milán) is the main city in northern Italy, and is located in the plains of Lombardy, the most populated and developed Italian region. ... September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years). ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Un giorno di regno is Verdi's first attempt at comic opera. It was a complete failure, to which his own personal tragedy have have contributed. His first wife Margherita Barezzi died during its composition. Verdi would not attempt another comedy until the end of his career with Falstaff. Falstaff is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, adapted by Arrigo Boito from Shakespeares play The Merry Wives of Windsor. ...