Giovanni Ruffini

Giovanni Ruffini

Giovanni Ruffini (1807, Genoa - 1881) was an Italian poet of the early 19th century. He is chiefly known for having written the draft of the libretto of the opera Don Pasquale for its composer Gaetano Donizetti.

Ruffini was from Genoa. He had been condemned to death as an enemy of the state and was living in exile in Paris in 1842 when it was suggested to him that he might offer his services to Donizetti as a librettist. Donizetti told him exactly what he required for his latest opera project, Don Pasquale, but not that he intended to re-use music already written for other purposes. Ruffini duly wrote the draft libretto, but Donizetti changed so much of the text, to fit his existing music, that Ruffini became angry at the alterations, and refused to allow his name to be mentioned in the programme for the première at the Théâtre Italien in Paris 3 January 1843.