Dominique-Alexandre Parodi (Domenico Alessandro Parodi in Italian publications) (b. 15 October 1840 – d.1901), known as Alexandre (Alessandro), was a naturalised French writer, poet and dramatist of Graeco-Italian extraction.
He was born in Chania, Crete, to Margarita Vitale and Domenico Parodi. His mother was from Smyrna (now İzmir) in western Anatolia and his father was Genoese, born in Loano, Liguria. He was the fourth of seven children. He lived in Smyrna from 1843 until 1861. He moved to Milan and then Genoa where he married Vittoria d'Aste, daughter of the playwrightIppolito d'Aste and granddaughter of the Genoese printer Antonio Ponthenier. They had two sons: Dominique Hippolyte Tite Marius (b.1870, Genoa) a philosopher and educational administrator, and Hippolyte (b.1874, Bois-Colombes) a pioneering civil electrical engineer.[1][2][3]
Grave of Victoire (Vittoria) and Dominique-Alexandre Parodi in Batignolles
He worked as a journalist and columnist for several Italian newspapers, including L'Illustrazione Italiana. He settled permanently in Paris in 1871 (and became a naturalized French citizen in 1881) having published his first book in France in 1865. He continued to write poetry and articles for Italian journals, particularly in L'Illustrazione under titles such as Notizie Letterarie (Literary notices) and Corriere di parigi (Paris Courier). He penned various plays, often in verse, some of which were put to music and in the case of Rome vaincue later transformed into an opera, Roma. He became an inspector of municipal libraries in 1886. He died in Paris in 1901. He was buried in the Cimetière des Batignolles), Paris, survived by his wife and two sons.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Rome vaincue, a tragedy in verse in five acts (1876) Paris, E. Dentu. Performed at the Comédie française on 27 September 1876 with Sarah Bernhardt. It was later translated into Italian by Ippolito Tito D'Aste and played from 1902, then adapted for opera by Jules Massenet under the name Roma, with a libretto by Henri Caïn (1912) Paris, C.Lévy.
Ulm le parricide, a tragedy in verse (1872) Paris, Michel Lévy frères. Performed first on 1 May 1870 at the Matinées Ballande (organised by impresario Hilarion Ballande) at the Gaîté theatre , with Paul Félix Taillade.
Sephora, mystère, a biblical poem in two acts (1877) Paris, E.Dentu
Le Triomphe de la paix, symphonic ode in three parts (1878) Paris, E.Dentu. Performed with music by Samuel David, 18 February 1879, Théâtre lyrique Ventadour.
L'Inflexible, a drama, 8 November 1884
La Jeunesse de François Ier. Marignan-Pavie (1515–1525), a historical tragedy in verse in three acts (1884) Paris, E.Dentu
La Reine Juana, a drama (1893) Paris, E.Dentu. Performed at the Comédie française, 6 May 1893, directed by Frédérique Febvre avec Mlle Brandis in the role of Floresta, M. Leitner in the role of Ferdinand d'Aragon.
La Juive de Grenade qui devient ensuite Dom Ruy, a drama, performed at the Comédie française
Les Rivales
Le Pape, a tragedy in five acts (1899) Paris, A.Hennuyer
(Translation) Francesca di Rimini, a tragedy by Silvio Pellico.
^Lazare, Félix et Louis (1994). Dictionnaire administratif et historique des rues et des monuments de Paris, introduction par Michel Fleury (pages IX à XIX), suivie du fac-similé de la deuxième édition de 1855. Maisonneuve et Larose.
Italy
France
Theatre
Poetry
Opera
