author
Paolo Ferrari
1822–1889
A leading voice in 19th-century Italian comedy, his plays brought wit, theatrical energy, and a lively feel for character to the stage. He is especially remembered for helping renew Italian drama with works that looked both to literary tradition and to contemporary life.
1 Audiobook
La separazione : commedia in quattro atti
by Paolo Ferrari
About the author
Born in Modena on April 5, 1822, Paolo Ferrari became one of Italy’s best-known dramatists of the 1800s. He studied law, but theater drew him in, and after some early works he won wide attention with Goldoni e le sue sedici commedie, the play most often credited with establishing his reputation.
Ferrari wrote many comedies, and his work was praised for its bright, sharp style and strong stage sense. Among his other successful plays, Parini e la satira is often singled out, and his career helped shape the course of modern Italian drama at a time when the national theater was looking for a fresh voice.
He died in Milan on March 9, 1889. Today he is remembered as a playwright who combined literary elegance with a real feel for performance, making his work appealing both on the page and in the theater.