Ildebrando Pizzetti, a twentieth century Italian composer, calls his musical works dramas rather than operas. He generally writes at least part of his libretti. Assassinio nella Cattedrale, or Murder in the Cathedral, was originally a play by T.S. Eliot about the sensational murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Pizzetti adapted an Italian translation by Alberto Castelli into a libretto which forms the basis for his sensitive and expressive declamations. The strength of the resulting libretto brought out some of Pizzetti's most imaginative writing. The choral music is extremely effective, as is the portrayal of Thomas Becket. The opera is written in two acts with an intermezzo. It premiered at the Teatro alla Scala of Milan on March 1, 1958.

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