(1875–1952)
Italian critic, dramatist and librettist Renato Simoni was born in Verona. He worked primarily as a newspaper journalist, taking up employment as drama critic of his native city's L'Adige in 1894, and then of Milan's Tempo in 1899. In 1903, he joined the editorial staff of Corriere del Sera, where he also served as drama critic, remaining there until the end of his life. Between 1906 and 1924, he also worked as editor for the journal La lettura, where he had been preceded by Giuseppe Giacosa. This fact probably made a favourable impression on Puccini when selecting him to collaborate with Giuseppe Adami on Turandot (1926). He also wrote five comedies, one of them in the dialect of Venice, as well as the libretto to Umberto Giordano's 1915 opera Madame Sans-Gêne. In 1934, he created the libretto for Ludovico Rocca's Il Dibuk. He also translated numerous operettas, such as Ivan Caryll's The Duchess of Danzig. He was famous for the children's verses that he wrote for many years under the pseudonym Turno. He died in Milan.
Italian critic, dramatist and librettist Renato Simoni was born in Verona. He worked primarily as a newspaper journalist, taking up employment as drama critic of his native city's L'Adige in 1894, and then of Milan's Tempo in 1899. In 1903, he joined the editorial staff of Corriere del Sera, where he also served as drama critic, remaining there until the end of his life. Between 1906 and 1924, he also worked as editor for the journal La lettura, where he had been preceded by Giuseppe Giacosa. This fact probably made a favourable impression on Puccini when selecting him to collaborate with Giuseppe Adami on Turandot (1926). He also wrote five comedies, one of them in the dialect of Venice, as well as the libretto to Umberto Giordano's 1915 opera Madame Sans-Gêne. In 1934, he created the libretto for Ludovico Rocca's Il Dibuk. He also translated numerous operettas, such as Ivan Caryll's The Duchess of Danzig. He was famous for the children's verses that he wrote for many years under the pseudonym Turno. He died in Milan.