Rinuccini, Ottavio

Rinuccini, Ottavio

 

Born Jan. 20, 1563, in Florence; died there Mar. 28, 1621. Italian poet, playwright, and librettist.

Rinuccini served at the court of the Medicis. He was a member of the Florentine Camerata and helped create the first operas, supplying the librettos for J. Peri’s Dafne (staged 1597–98) and Euridice (1600) and G. Caccini’s Euridice (1600; staged 1602). Between 1600 and 1604, Rinuccini made frequent visits to France. He wrote the libretto of C. Monteverdi’s opera Arianna(1608).

REFERENCES

Civita, A. Ottavio Rinuccini e il sorgere del melodrama in Italia. Mantua, 1900.
Delia Corte, A. O. Rinuccini librettista, nella ristampa dei Drammi. Turin, 1926.