[Footnote 11: _Reminiscences of the Opera_, p. 148.]
[Footnote 12: _Reminiscences of the Opera_, p. 102.]
[Footnote 13: _Illustrated London News_, 15th March 1845.]
[Footnote 14: _Illustrated London News_, 23rd August 1845.]
[Footnote 15: _Illustrated London News_, 21st March 1846.]
[Footnote 16: _Musical Recollections of the Last Half-Century_, vol. ii. p. 162.]
[Footnote 17: _Athenæum_, 26th February 1848.]
[Footnote 18: _The Life and Works of Verdi_ (Pougin--Matthew), p. 169.]
_I Due Foscari_--Its argument--Failure of the opera in Rome, Paris, and London--_Giovanna d'Arco'_--A moderate success--_Alzira_--_Attila_--More political enthusiasm--_Attila_ given at Her Majesty's Theatre by Mr. Lumley--Its cool reception--_The Times_ and _Athenæum_ critics on _Attila_--Exceptional activity of Verdi--_Macbeth_--_Jérusalem_ in Paris--_I Masnadieri_ first given at Her Majesty's Theatre--Jenny Lind in its _caste_--Plot of the opera--The work a failure everywhere--The critics on _I Masnadieri_--Mr. Lumley offers Verdi the conductorship at Her Majesty's Theatre--_Il Corsaro_--_La Battaglia di Legnano_--_Luisa Miller_--Mr. Chorley on _Luisa Miller_--Its libretto--Reception of the work in Naples, London, and Paris.
_I Due Foscari_ was Verdi's next opera. His _collaborateur_ Piave had a libretto well seasoned with that sensational element characteristic of the Italian dramatic lyric stage. Here is its story:--
In 1423 Francisco Foscari was raised to the ducal chair of Venice, notwithstanding the opposition of Peter Lorredano. The latter constantly opposed him in the Council, and that in such a manner, that on one occasion Foscari, irritated, exclaimed, "He could not believe he was really Doge so long as Peter Lorredano lived." By a fatal coincidence, a few months afterwards, Peter and his brother Mark died suddenly, and public report said they had been poisoned. James Lorredano, Peter's brother, believed the tale, and sculptured the names of the Foscari on their tomb, and inserted them in his ledger as his debtors for two lives--waiting with the greatest _sang-froid_ for the moment when he should be enabled to make them pay. The Doge had four sons; three died, and Jacopo the fourth, husband to Lucretia Contarini, being accused of receiving presents from foreign princes, was imprisoned according to the laws of Venice, first at Naples in Romania, and afterwards at Treviso. It happened in the meantime that Ermolaus Donato, chief of the Council of Ten, who had condemned Jacopo, was assassinated on the night of the 5th November 1450, on his return to his palace, from a sitting of the Council. As Olivia, Jacopo's servant, had been seen at Venice a few days previously, and on the very day after the crime had been committed he had publicly mentioned it at the Mestra boat, suspicion fell on the Foscari. The master of the boat and Jacopo's servant were immediately carried to Venice, where they were put to the torture, but in vain; they were then banished for life to Candia. For five years in succession had Jacopo sought for his pardon without obtaining it, and, unable longer to live without revisiting his beloved country, he wrote to the Duke of Milan, Francisco Sforza, begging of him to intercede with the Council on his behalf. The letter fell into the hands of the Ten; and Jacopo, being taken to Venice and tortured, confessed that he had written it with the sole desire of revisiting his country, at the risk of being sent back to prison. He was condemned to remain for life in Candia, to be closely confined for the first year, and threatened with death if he wrote any more letters of the same description. The unfortunate octogenarian Doge, who had conducted himself with Roman fortitude at the judgment and torturing of his son, was allowed to see him in private before his departure, to advise him to be obedient and resigned to the will of the Republic. In the meantime Nicolo Errizo, a Venetian nobleman, died, and on his death-bed acknowledged himself the murderer of Donato. He wished his confession to be published to exculpate Jacopo Foscari. Several of the principal senators had previously felt disposed to plead for his pardon, but unhappily, while this was taking place, he breathed his last in his Candian prison.