Graffigna, Achille

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Graffigna, Achille

Graffigna, Achille, Italian composer; b. S. Martino dair Argine, near Mantua, May 5, 1816; d. Padua, July 19, 1896. He studied with Alessandro Rolla in Milan. He wrote church music and theatrical cantatas, then devoted himself to opera. His Ildegonda e Rizzardo (La Scala, Milan, Nov. 3, 1841) was accepted with favor. In 1842 he went to Verona, where he produced Eleonora di San Bonifacio (March 11, 1843). There followed Maria di Brabante (Trieste, Oct. 16, 1852), L’assedio di Malta (Padua, July 30, 1853), Gli Studenti (Milan, Feb. 7, 1857), Veronica Cibo (Mantua, Feb. 13, 1858; rev. and produced at the Théâtre-Italien, Paris, March 22, 1865, as La Duchessa di San Giuliano), II Barbiere di Siviglia (Padua, May 17, 1879; an homage to Rossini), II matrimonio segreto (Florence, Sept. 8, 1883), and La buona figliuola (Milan, May 6, 1886).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire