Mefistofele

Mefistofele is the only completed opera by the Italian composer-librettist Arrigo Boito. It was premiered on March 5, 1868 at La Scala, Milan, and remains a popular work today.Mefistofele is one of many pieces of classical music to be based on the Faust legend, Mephistopheles. 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.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 After just two performances (the second split over two nights), the opera was withdrawn.
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