Edgar, Puccini's second opera, was composed on a commission from the publisher Ricordi after the successful reception of his first stage work, Le Villi. The plot indicates the influence of Wagner's Tannhäuser. Both centre on medieval knights struggling between a life of sensual indulgence and ideal love. Edgar is "torn between the sacred love of Fidelia and the profane love of Tigrana"; Wagner's hero indulges himself with Venus while pining for the love of Elizabeth. The gypsy-like figure of Tigrana (supposedly the child of "wandering Moors") also parallels the anti-heroine of Bizet's Carmen.
| Librettist | Ferdinando Fontana (freely based on the play in verse La Coupe et les lèvres (The Cup and the Lips) by Alfred de Musset) |
| Date of composition | 1889 (revised in 1890, 1891, 1905) |
| Premiered | 1889, April 21st (Teatro alla Scala) in Milan, Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy |
| First published | 1890 |
| Dedicated to | Giulio Ricordi |
| Type | Opera |
| Approx. duration | 150 minutes |
| Spoken language | Italian |
| Instruments |
Chorus/Choir
Orchestra Voice (Tenor) - Edgar Voice (Soprano) - Fidelia Voice (Mezzo-Soprano) - Tigrana Voice (Baritone) - Frank Voice (Bass) - Gualtiero, father of Fidelia and Frank |
| Autotranslations beta |
Giacomo Puccini: Edgar "Dramma lirico" Giacomo Puccini: Edgar "Dramma lirico" Giacomo Puccini: Edgar "Dramma lirico" |