Arrigo Boito

Short bio Arrigo Boito

Birthday: 1842 in Padua, Italy

Died: 1918 in Milan, Italy

Genre: Classical

Period: Romantic

Full biography Arrigo Boito

Arrigo Boito was an Italian composer, librettist, poet and critic who lived from February 24, 1842, to June 10, 1918. He is best known for composing the opera Mefistofele, for which he also wrote the libretto, as well as for his collaborations with Giuseppe Verdi on several operas , including Otello and Falstaff.

Boito began his career primarily as a poet and critic, contributing to various publications and associating with literary circles. His interest in opera led him to write the libretti for several operas, including his own Mefistofele, which was first performed in 1868. Although the opera received mixed reviews at the time, it has since become regarded as a significant work in the Italian opera canon.

Boito's collaborations with Verdi began in the 1870s, when he revised the libretto for the composer's opera Simon Boccanegra. Boito later provided libretti for Otello and Falstaff, both of which are considered among Verdi's greatest works. Boito's influence on these works was significant, as he helped to shape their dramatic structure and characterizations.

Apart from his work in opera, Boito also composed several pieces of instrumental music, including the Scherzo in D minor for orchestra. However, his output as a composer was relatively limited compared to his work as a librettist and poet.

Overall, Arrigo Boito is remembered as an important figure in Italian opera, both for his own compositions and for his collaborations with Verdi. His writing and music continue to be studied and performed by musicians and scholars today.

Albums featuring Arrigo Boito

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Johann Sebastian Bach - Boghen, Boito, Facchinetti, Fiorentino, Manzotti, Togni, Trebbi, Vlad - Chiara Bertoglio – Bach & Italy Vol. 3(CD, Album)	2020	Da Vinci Classics
2	Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Boito, Tullio Serafin – Opera Sinfonias(16×File, MP3)	2020	Urania Records (4)
3	Verdi, Saint-Saëns, Tchaikovsky, Mascagni, Mozart, Giordano, Boito, Ponchielli, Renata Tebaldi, Giulietta Simionato, Ettore Bastianini, Richard Tucker (2), Lyric Opera Of Chicago, Sir Georg Solti – An Evening At The Lyric Opera Of Chicago(CD, Album, Reiss	2017	Decca
4	Mefistofele(Blu-ray, )	2016	Unitel
5	Boito, Neri, Tagliavini, Pobbe, Ticozzi, RAI Torino, Questa – Mefistofele(2×CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Mono)	2016	Urania Arts
6	Glinka • Mussorgsky • Borodin • Cui • Balakirev • Tchaikovsky • Rimsky-Korsakov • Rachmaninov • Gounod • Verdi • Boito / Boris Christoff – The Mighty Boris(11×CD, Remastered, Stereo, Mono, Box Set, Compilation)	2013	EMI Classics
7	Boïto, Cesare Siepi - Mario del Monaco - Renata Tebaldi, Orchestra E Coro Dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Tullio Serafin – Mefistofele(2×CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Stereo)	2011	Urania Records (4)
8	Arrigo Boito - Furlanetto · Filianoti · Theodossiou · Zaramella · Ghegghi · Minarelli · Orchestra, Chorus And Children's Chorus Of Teatro Massimo, Palermo · Stefano Ranzani – Mefistofele(2×CD, Album)	2011	Naxos
9	Bellini • Donizetti • Rossini • Verdi • Boito • Puccini • Mascagni • Giordano / Montserrat Caballé – Great Operatic Recordings	2009	EMI Classics
10	Mefistofele(2×DVD, DVD-Video)	2008	Dynamic (4)
11	Tony Britten Based On The Opera By Verdi And Boito – Falstaff(DVD, DVD-Video, PAL)	2008	Signum Vision
12	Mefistofele(2×DVD, DVD-Video, NTSC, Stereo)	2008	Dynamic S.R.L.
13	Arturo Toscanini - Rossini, Cimarosa, Cherubini, Donizetti, Verdi, Ponchielli, Boito, Puccini, Catalani – I Grandi Italiani(2×CD, Compilation)	2007	RCA Red Seal
14	Arrigo Boito, Paolo Carignani, Frankfurter Opern- Und Museumsorchester Frankfurter Museumsorchester Chor der Oper Frankfurt – Mefistofele(CD, Album, Stereo)	2006	hr-musik.de
15	Arrigo Boito / Gabriela Benacková, Samuel Ramey, Dennis O'Neill (3), Chorus And Orchestra Of The San Francisco Opera, Maurizio Arena (2), Robert Carsen, Brian Large – Mefistofele(DVD, DVD-Video, PAL, Reissue)	2005	Edizioni Del Prado
16	Arturo Toscanini - Bellini / Verdi / Boito - Nicola Moscona, NBC Symphony Orchestra – The Complete Concert 2 December 1945(CD, )	2003	Guild
17	Arrigo Boito -- Coro Y Orquesta Del Teatro De La Escala De Milán / Nazareno de Angelis - Antonio Melandri – Grandes Operas: Mefistófele (Selección)(CD, Compilation, Remastered)	2001	Mediasat Group
18	Renata Scotto, Gioacchino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, Giacomo Puccini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giuseppe Verdi, Arrigo Boito – Airs d'Opéra Italiens(CD, Compilation, Remastered)	2001	EMI Classics
19	Boito, Samuel Ramey, Daniela Dessì, Alfredo Cupido, Bruno Bartoletti – Mefistofele(3×CD, Album)	1999	Opera D'Oro
20	Katalin Pitti, Bellini, Verdi, Puccini, Catalani, Leoncavallo, Boito – Famous Italian Operatic Arias(CD, Album, Compilation)	1998	Hungaroton Classic
21	Arrigo Boito, Ghiuselev, Kaloudov, Evstatieva, Sofia National Opera Chorus & Orchestra, Ivan Marinov – Mefistofele (Gesamtaufnahme / Complete Recording)	1997	Laserlight Classics
22	Éva Marton, Boito, Cilea, Ponchielli, Verdi, Catalani, Puccini, Julius Rudel, Hungarian State Orchestra – In Concert(CD, Album)	1997	Hungaroton Classic
23	Boito, Riccardo Muti, Orchestra E Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala, Samuel Ramey, Michèle Crider, Vincenzo La Scola – Mefistofele	1996	RCA Victor Red Seal
24	Boito - Mafalda Favero, Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, Antonio Melandri, Nazzareno de Angelis, Giuseppe Nessi, Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala, Lorenzo Molajoli – Mefistofele (Volume secondo)(Cassette, Album)	1995	Gruppo Editoriale Bramante
25	Mefistofele(2×CD, Stereo)	1994	Ricordi
26	Arrigo Boito, Simona Dall'Argine, Rosetta Noli, Ebe Ticozzi, Gianni Poggi, Gino Del Signore, Giulio Neri – Mefistofele	1993	Urania Records (3)
27	Giuseppe di Stefano, Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti, Boito, Giordano, Massenet – Giuseppe di Stefano	1993	Decca
28	Boito - Samuel Ramey, Eva Marton, Placido Domingo, Sergio Tedesco, Tamara Takács, Éva Farkas, Antal Pataki, Hungaroton Opera Chorus, Hungarian State Orchestra, Giuseppe Patanè – Mefistofele	1990	Sony Classical
29	Boito / Verdi - Milanov • Peerce • Warren • Moscona, Merriman • NBC Symphony Orchestra, Toscanini – Mefistofele / I Lombardi • Rigoletto (Excerpts)	1990	RCA Victor Gold Seal
30	Arrigo Boito, Samuel Ramey, Gabriela Beňačková, Dennis O'Neill (3) – Mefistofele(2×Laserdisc, 12")	1989	Pioneer Artists
31	Arrigo Boito, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Montserrat Caballé, London Opera Chorus, Trinity Boys' Choir, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Oliviero De Fabritiis – Mefistofele(LP, Album)	1989	Decca
32	Arrigo Boito, Samuel Ramey, Gabriela Beňačková, Dennis O'Neill (3) – Mefistofele(2×Laserdisc, 12")	1989	Pioneer Artists
33	Samuel Ramey, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra, Donato Renzetti - Handel • Mozart • Rossini • Bellini • Verdi • Boito • Montemezzi – Opera Arias	1987	Philips
34	Richard Strauss, Arrigo Boito, Montserrat Caballé, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Leonard Bernstein – Salomes Tanz & Schlußgesang / 5 lieder	1987	Deutsche Grammophon
35	Berlioz - Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus, John Aler – Requiem (Grand Messe Des Morts)	1985	Telarc
36	Boito, Soloists, The Ambrosian Opera Chorus, The London Symphony Orchestra, Julius Rudel – Mefistofele - Highlights	1985	Angel Records
37	Mefistofele	1984	London Records
38	Nerone	1983	Hungaroton
39	Arrigo Boito - Cesare Siepi - Gianni Poggi - Cesy Broggini - Anna De Cavalieri - Rina Cavallari - Fiorenza Cossotto ,- Angelo Mercuriali - Orchestra E Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala, Milano – Mefistofele (Pagine Scelte)	1981	Longanesi Periodici
40	Eugenia Burzio, Arrigo Boito, Francesco Cilea, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Giovanni Pacini, Romano Romani, Giuseppe Verdi, Amilcare Ponchielli – Eugenia Burzio (1879-1922)(LP)	1981	Rubini Records
41	Boito, Verdi, Robert Shaw, The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra And Chorus, John Cheek, The Young Singers Of Callanwolde, The Morehouse-Spelman Chorus – Prologue To Mefistofele / Te Deum	1980	Telarc
42	Arrigo Boito, Giulio Neri, Marcella Pobbe, Ferruccio Tagliavini, Ebe Ticozzi, Orchestra Sinfonica Di Torino Della RAI, Coro Del Teatro Regio di Torino – Mefistofele(3×12", Album, Mono)	1980	Cetra
43	Boito : La Scala Opera Chorus And Orchestra Conducted By Antonino Votto – Mefistofele	1979	Cetra
44	Franco Capuana, Mirto Picchi, Giangiacomo Guelfi, Adriana Lazzarini, Arrigo Boito, Mario Petri, Anna de Cavalieri, Ferruccio Mazzoli, Orchestra Del Teatro Di San Carlo – Nerone	1978	Cetra
45	Puccini, Mercadante, Boito, Verdi, Orchestre National De L'Opera De Monte-Carlo, Claudio Scimone – Preludio Sinfonico • Capriccio Sinfonico • Edgar - Vorspiel	1978	Erato
46	Liszt, Boito / Kenneth Riegel, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Wiener Philharmoniker, Leonard Bernstein – Liszt: Faust-Symphonie / Boito: Mefistofele (Prologo)	1977	Deutsche Grammophon
47	Boito, Norman Treigle, Montserrat Caballé, Placido Domingo – Great Scenes From Mefistofele	1976	Angel Records
48	Arrigo Boito, Franco Capuana – Mefistofele - Höhepunkte Der Oper In Italienischer Sprache(LP, Mono)	1975	BASF
49	Arrigo Boito, Bruno Prevedi, Ilva Ligabue, Ruža Baldani, Agostino Ferrin, Allessandro Cassis, Gianandrea Gavazzeni – Nerone	1975	MRF Records
50	Boito : Treigle : Domingo : Caballé - Julius Rudel - London Symphony Orchestra & Ambrosian Opera Chorus – Mefistofele	1974	His Master's Voice
51	Puccini, Boito, Verdi, Bellini, Cilea, Giordano, Catalani – Maria Curtis Verna – Fragmentos Escogidos De Opera(LP)	1974	Zafiro
52	Giuseppe Verdi, Arrigo Boito, Giacomo Puccini, Montserrat Caballé, Placido Domingo – Szenen Und Duette Aus Giovanna D'Arco, Don Carlos, Mefistofele, Manon Lescaut(LP, Compilation, Stereo)	1972	His Master's Voice
53	Giuseppe Verdi, Arrigo Boito, Giacomo Puccini, Montserrat Caballé, Placido Domingo – Szenen Und Duette Aus Giovanna D'Arco, Don Carlos, Mefistofele, Manon Lescaut(LP, Compilation, Stereo)	1972	His Master's Voice
54	Arturo Toscanini, Hector Berlioz, Arrigo Boito – Romeo and Juliet Op. 17 / Mefistofele: Prologue(LP, Reissue, Mono)	1969	RCA
55	Ghiaurov, Boito – Mefistofele Selections	1967	Decca
56	Arrigo Boito, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Carlo Bergonzi, Renata Tebaldi, Lamberto Gardelli – Mefistofele	1966	MRF Records
57	Amilcare Ponchielli / Arrigo Boito / Alfredo Catalani – La Gioconda / Mefistofele / La Wally(7", 33 ⅓ RPM)	1965	Fratelli Fabbri Editori
58	Boito, Ghiaurov, Bergonzi, Kabaivanska – Mefistofele	1964	HRE
59	Галина Вишневская - В. Беллини, Д. Верди, Д. Пуччини, Ш. Гуно, А. Бойто, Р. Вагнер – Арии Из Опер	1964	Мелодия
60	Boito • Siepi • Del Monaco • Tebaldi • Serafin – Mefistofele(3×LP, Stereo, Box Set, )	1964	London Records
61	Mefistofele	1963	Cetra
62	Tebaldi – The Best Of Tebaldi	1962	Decca
63	Mefistofele	1959	Decca
64	Maria Meneghini-Callas, Tullio Serafin, Francesco Cilea, Arturo Colautti, Boïto, Philharmonia Orchestra – Adriana Lecouvreur / Mefistofele	1959	Columbia
65	Boito, Siepi, Chorus And Orchestra Of The Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome, Serafin – Mefistofele - Excerpts(7", 45 RPM, EP)	1959	Decca
66	Boito - Cesare Siepi, Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, Chorus & Orchestra Of Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome, Tullio Serafin – Mefistofele - Highlights	1958	London Records
67	Boito, Boris Christoff – Mefistofele	1956	His Master's Voice
68	Verdi / Boïto / Arturo Toscanini, NBC Symphony Orchestra, Nicola Moscona, The Robert Shaw Chorale – Verdi - Te Deum • Boito - Mefistofele: Prologue	1955	RCA Victor Red Seal
69	Arrigo Boito - Mafalda Favero, Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, Antonio Melandri, Nazzareno de Angelis, Rita Monticone, Giuseppe Nessi, Emilio Venturini, Ida Mannarini, Lorenzo Molajoli – Mefistofele	1954	Columbia
70	Boito, Adamo Didur – Ave Signor / Ballata Del Fischio(Shellac, 10", 78 RPM)	1906	Fonotipia
71	Nerone / Mefistofele(2×LP)	-	Operatic Archives
72	Mefistofele(CD, )	-	Editions Atlas
73	Arrigo Boito, Aristodemo Giorgini, Virgilio Ranzato – Mefistofele(Pathé Disc, 35cm, 90 RPM)	-	Pathé
74	Giuseppe Verdi, Arrigo Boito – Falstaff(3×LP, Stereo)	-	Cetra
75	Arturo Toscanini, Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Arrigo Boito – Inauguration de la Reconstruction Du Teatro Alla Scala(2×LP, Box Set, )	-	Discoreale
76	Arrigo Boito - Giulio Neri, Ferruccio Tagliavini, Marcella Pobbe, Ebe Ticozzi, Armando Benzi, Disma De Cecco, Ede Marietti Gandolfo, Symphony Orchestra of Torino della Radio-televisione cond. by Angelo Questa, Chorus cond. by Adolfo Fanfani – Highlights F	-	Everest
77	Arrigo Boito, Grande Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano, Lorenzo Molajoli, Mafalda Favero, Giannina Arangi-Lombardi, Antonio Melandri, Nazzareno De Angelis, Rita Monticone, Giuseppe Nessi – Mefistofele Album 1°(9×Shellac, 78 RPM, Album)	-
78	Arrigo Boito, Lorenzo Molajoli, Grande Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano, Mafalda Favero, Antonio Melandri, Nazzareno De Angelis, Rita Monticone, Giuseppe Nessi, Giannina Arangi-Lombardi – Mefistofele Album 2°(8×Shellac, 78 RPM, Album)	-
79	Arrigo Boito, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Alfredo Kraus, Renata Tebaldi, Elena Souliotis, Nino Sanzogno – Mefistofele(3×LP, Album, Box Set, )	-	Historical Recording Enterprises
80	Verdi, Boito, Cimarosa, Donizetti, Rossini – Toscanini Treasury of Great Music, Volume 6(4×LP, Compilation, Mono)	-	RCA Victrola
81	Renata Scotto - Verdi - Donizetti - Bellini - Puccini - Boito, Rossini, Philharmonia Orchestra - Manno Wolf-Ferrari – Discoteca Classica(LP)	-	La Voce Del Padrone
82	Mefistofele Opera In 4 Atti(2×LP)	-	La Voce Del Padrone
83	Boito, Boris Christoff E L' Orchestra Philharmonia Di Londra Dir. Da I. Dobrowen – Mefistofele(7", 45 RPM)	-	La Voce Del Padrone
84	Nerone(CD, Album, Promo)	-	Státní Opera Praha
85	Boito, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni, Montserrat Caballé, London Opera Chorus, Trinity Boys' Choir, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Oliviero De Fabritiis – Mefistofele (Selección)(CD, Album)	-	Decca
86	Arrigo Boito, Cesare Siepi, Mario del Monaco, Renata Tebaldi, Floriana Cavalli, Lucia Danieli, Piero Di Palma – Mefistofele / Auszüge(LP, Stereo)	-	Aspekte
87	Renata Tebaldi, Mozart, Boito – Figaros Hochzeit / Mefistofele(7", 33 ⅓ RPM)	-	Musical Masterpiece Society
88	Verdi, Boito, G. Gatti & N. Evans & London Symphony Orchestra, Vincenzo Bellezza, Alberto Erede – Otello - Act 4(2×Shellac, 12", 78 RPM)	-	His Master's Voice
89	Boito : Coro Del Teatro Alla Scala, Orchestra Del Teatro Alla Scala, Cav. Lorenzo Molajoli, Vittore Veneziani, Comm. Nazzareno de Angelis – Mefistofele Prologo(3×Shellac, 12", 78 RPM)	-	Columbia
90	G. Puccini, Arrigo Boito, Giovanni Malipiero, Ugo Tansini, Orchestra Sinfonica Dell'Eiar – La Boheme / Mefistofele(Shellac, 12", 78 RPM)	-	Cetra
91	Maria Meneghini-Callas, Tullio Serafin, Francesco Cilea, Arturo Colautti, Boïto, Philharmonia Orchestra – Adriana Lecouvreur / Mefistofele(7", 45 RPM, EP)	-	Columbia
92	Beniamino Gigli, Boito – Mefistofele(Shellac, 10", 78 RPM, Repress)	-	La Voce Del Padrone
93	Mefistofele Ausschnitte (Italienisch Gesungen)(7", EP)	-	Decca
94	Verdi, Boito, R. Blanchard, Jose Mardones – Otello / Mefistofele(Shellac, 10", 78 RPM)	-	Disco "La Cigale"