Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi was an Italian composer of the Romantic period who is regarded as one of the greatest composers of the opera. His works include Rigoletto, Il trovatore, La traviata, Aida, and Otello.
Early Life and Education
Verdi was born in Le Roncole near Busseto in 1813. His father was an innkeeper and his mother was a spinner.
He showed an early talent for the music and was helped by the patron Antonio Barezzi. He was rejected by the Milan Conservatory because of his age and his lack of the formal training.
He studied privately in Milan and returned to Busseto. He married Margherita Barezzi and composed his first opera.
The Operas of the Middle Period
Verdi achieved his first great success with Nabucco in 1842. The chorus Va, pensiero became a symbol of the Italian national feeling.
He composed a series of the operas that made his reputation. The works include Macbeth, Rigoletto, Il trovatore, and La traviata.
Rigoletto and La traviata were based on the plays of Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas. The works were censored for their subjects but became the most popular of the operas.
He wrote for the great singers of the period. The music gives the solo voice a central role while the orchestra supports and comments.
The Later Operas
Verdi composed Aida in 1871 for the opening of the opera house in Cairo. The work is a grand opera with a spectacular staging.
He composed the Requiem in 1874 in memory of the writer Alessandro Manzoni. The work is one of the greatest of the choral works.
He came out of the retirement to compose Otello in 1887 and Falstaff in 1893 with the librettist Arrigo Boito. The works are the masterpieces of his old age.
Falstaff is a comedy and a contrast to the tragic works of his middle period. The score is full of the wit and the subtlety.
The Later Years and the Legacy
Verdi was involved in the political life of the Italian Risorgimento and served in the parliament. The name VERDI was used as the acrostic of the slogan for the king Victor Emmanuel.
He founded the Casa di Riposo per Musicisti, a home for the retired musicians, in Milan. He endowed the institution with his own funds.
He died in 1901 in Milan and was buried in the Casa di Riposo. The funeral was attended by the crowds and the music of the Va, pensiero was sung.
He is regarded as one of the greatest of the opera composers. His works are the core of the repertoire of the opera houses throughout the world.
The Operas
Verdi composed the operas of the middle period, including Rigoletto, Il trovatore, and La traviata. The works were the most popular of the Italian operas.
He composed Aida and the Requiem in the later period. The works are the grandest of his compositions.
He composed Otello and Falstaff with the librettist Boito. The works are the masterpieces of his old age.
The Music and the Style
Verdi's music is characterised by the melodic invention and the dramatic power. The writing for the voice is idiomatic and the orchestration supports the drama.
He insisted on the unity of the music and the drama. He controlled the production and the casting of his operas.
He was involved in the political life of the Risorgimento. The name VERDI was used as the acrostic of the slogan for the king Victor Emmanuel.
The Honours and the Memory
Verdi founded the Casa di Riposo per Musicisti in Milan. The home for the retired musicians is endowed with his own funds.
He was buried in the Casa di Riposo and the funeral was attended by the crowds. The music of the Va, pensiero was sung by the mourners.
He is regarded as one of the greatest of the opera composers. His works are the core of the repertoire of the opera houses throughout the world.
The Private Life
Verdi married Margherita Barezzi in 1836 and the couple had two children. His wife and the children died within two years.
He later lived with the soprano Giuseppina Strepponi and married her in 1859. The relationship was the subject of the scandal but the couple were devoted to each other.
He was a farmer and a landowner and managed his estate at Sant'Agata. He was known for his generosity to the workers and the neighbours.
The Political Role
Verdi was involved in the political life of the Italian Risorgimento. The name VERDI was used as the acrostic of the slogan for the king Victor Emmanuel.
He served in the parliament and was a supporter of the unification of Italy. He was honoured as a senator of the kingdom.
He founded the Casa di Riposo per Musicisti in Milan. He died in 1901 and was buried in the Casa di Riposo.
See also
- Opera
- Romantic music
- Risorgimento
- Requiem
References
- ↑ Phillips-Matz, Mary Jane. Verdi: A Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993.
- ↑ Budden, Julian. The Operas of Verdi. London: Cassell, 1973.
- ↑ Rosselli, John. The Life of Verdi. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
- ↑ Osborne, Charles. Verdi: A Life in the Theatre. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1987.