# Franchetti



## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

I listened to Franchetti's _Germania_ earlier today. (Purely as music, preliminary listen.) It's *STUNNING*. Glorious choruses, symphonic writing, beautiful arias, and a strong sense of drama. It sounds like a cross between Puccini and Mahler.

Here's the recording:





And here's the English / Italian libretto: https://archive.org/details/germaniaalyrica00illigoog

Does anyone know this opera or Franchetti's work in general?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

> Does anyone know this opera or Franchetti's work in general?


The only thing I ever heard is on a disc from Caruso singing: Studenti! Udite! and No, non chiuder gli occhi (Germania).
Thanks for sharing though.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Indeed. I rather like "Germania" too.

Franchetti was an Italian composer from la Giovane Scuola, though he was an ardent follower of Wagner, and in his music closer to a Cilea, than to a Giordano.

One of the singers of the premiere was Caruso himself. 

The rest of his operas were not really very successful, especially the ones written in the 1920s. But, in my view, at least "Asrael" and "Cristoforo Colombo" deserve a hearing.


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