As artistic director and principal conductor of Opera Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Anthony Barrese created a new critical edition of the Faccio opera Amleto. Anthony Barrese began work on the project in 2003 and premiered the edition on the Opera Southwest stage in 2014.

1. FACCIO'S AMLETO - AN
INTRODUCTION
Anthony Barrese

2. Introduction
 As artistic director and principal conductor of Opera
Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Anthony
Barrese created a new critical edition of the Faccio
opera Amleto. Anthony Barrese began work on the
project in 2003 and premiered the edition on the
Opera Southwest stage in 2014.
Franco Faccio premiered his original opera Amleto in
Genoa in 1865. He was at the time a member of a
group known as the scapigliati, which can be loosely
translated as “bohemians.” They favored simple
beauty and an eclectic approach to art, and these
ideals found their way into the score and libretto of
Amleto.

3. Faccio's Amleto
 According to critics at the Donizetti Society, the work's
aesthetic is subtle yet expressive, particularly when one
considers the tone coloring and mood development in the
orchestral arrangements. Arrigo Boito's poetry remains close
to Shakespeare's original language and thus offers audiences
more varied language in the libretto as compared to other
works of the day.
This new sound pleased audiences at its Genoa premier, but
its success did not last. Just before its premiere at La Scala in
1871, its lead tenor fell ill and delivered a poor performance.
The opera failed, its score never printed, and thus it remained
unheard for more than 140 years. However, the work's 2014
staging at Opera Southwest, following its meticulous
reconstruction, finally brought its musical and dramatic
contributions to a new audience.