Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito (1842-1918) was one of the greatest librettists in the history of opera. After studying music in Milan, he fought for Italian independence under Giuseppe Garibaldi and then took part in Italy’s bohemian arts movement during the Risorgimento. His partnership with Giuseppe Verdi was particularly fruitful, with Simon Boccanegra, Otello, and Falstaff. He also finished one opera of his own, Mefistofele. He also wrote essays under the anagrammatic pseudonym of Tobia Gorrio, which he also used for his work on Ponchielli’s La Gioconda.