Talk:Le Villi

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I think this is not correct: "Le Villi is Puccini's first stage work. It was written for a competition of one-act operas, but did not even earn an honorable mention. His supporters funded the first production, and due to the favourable reception, Giulio Ricordi agreed to take on the publishing. Ricordi urged the composer to expand the work, and Puccini did, producing a new version later that year, which was followed by modifications in 1888, and the final version in 1892." From what I've heard, Puccini met the adjudicators weeks after the competition, and since they couldn't even remember his opera, he played it in entirity to them on the piano. They enjoyed it so much they funded it. I was just wondering....

Yes. Since Giulio Ricordi printed the libretto of the first production, the above statement ("...due to the favourable reception, Giulio Ricordi agreed...") is false. Also, consider that Ponchielli was a man of "casa Ricordi": it was he who put Puccini in contact with the librettist Ferdinando Fontana and he was in the "Concorso Sonzogno" commission. According to Julian Budden, probably it was Ricordi who obtained that Puccini's opera would not win the "Concorso Sonzogno" by "driving" the commission (Ponchielli and others). --Al pereira 21:05, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Die lustige Witwe?

THe text now says "The libretto is based in the Central European legend of the Willis, also used in the ballet Giselle and the opera Die lustige Witwe." What exactly is the connection with Die lustige Witwe? I don't get it. -- Kleinzach 15:29, 7 October 2007 (UTC)

Whoever put that in was presumably referring to "Vilja, o Vilja", the story of a nymph who fell in love with a mortal (see Slavic fairies. It could be said to be "used in" Die lustige Witwe, but the reference here is rather misleading. --GuillaumeTell 16:59, 7 October 2007 (UTC)

Thanks. I think it would be simplest to just remove the reference. -- Kleinzach 14:14, 8 October 2007 (UTC)