Franco Faccio

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Franco Faccio (March 8, 1840 – July 21, 1891) was an Italian composer and conductor.

Born in Verona, Faccio became known as a conductor of Verdi's music. He studied music in Milan and after finishing his studies began his career as a composer, writing I Profughi Fiamminghi (Milan, 1863) and Amleto (Genoa, 1865), the latter being one of the many operas based on William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Both operas failed to achieve success either among the critics or the general public. However the Marcia Funebre composed for the Amleto is considered as an important example of Faccio's lyricism. Its popularity is made evident by its transcriptions for wind band in late 19th century. One can still listen to this part of the opera in Corfu during Easter, where the band of Philarmonic Society of Corfu performs it in the epitaph of St. Spyridon in the morning of Holy Saturday. In 2004, however, conductor Anthony Barese edited the score and presented Amleto, therefore allowing the re-evaluation of the until recently neglected opera.

In 1867 Faccio became director of the Milan Conservatory and in 1872 he was nominated director of Milan's Teatro alla Scala. Faccio conducted the first performance of Verdi's Otello (1887) and also its London premiere. He had previously conducted the first Italian performance of Aida (1872) and the premiere of the revised version of Simon Boccanegra (1881). Faccio died in Monza at age 51.