Filippo Marchetti

Full biography Filippo Marchetti

Filippo Marchetti (February 24, 1831 – January 18, 1902) was an Italian opera composer. He was born in Bologna, Italy, and studied at the Venice Conservatory. Marchetti's best-known opera is "Ruy Blas" (1869), which was based on Victor Hugo's play of the same name. He also composed the operas "Don Giovanni d'Austria" (1867), "Romeo e Giulietta" (1865), and "La falce" (1895), among others.

Marchetti's music was known for its beautiful melodies and virtuosic orchestration. He was highly regarded by his contemporaries, including Giuseppe Verdi, who referred to Marchetti as "un valente maestro" (a talented master). In addition to his work as a composer, Marchetti was also a skilled pianist and conductor.

Marchetti died in Rome in 1902, at the age of 70. Despite his popularity during his lifetime, his music has largely fallen out of the standard repertoire and is rarely performed today. However, his legacy lives on, with his name appearing in various works of literature, and his fortepiano still preserved and exhibited at the Council Chamber in Pievebovigliana, a village in Marche, Italy.