Midwest University Music Department
Puccini
Wagner
List of Verdi's Operas
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1839 Oberto Conte di San Bonifacio
1840 Un Giorno di Regno
1842 Nabucco
1843 I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata
1844 Ernani
1844 I Due Foscari
1845 Giovanna d' Arco
1845 Alzira
1846 Attila
1847 Macbeth
1847 I Masnadieri
1848 Il Corsaro
1849 Luisa Miller
1850 Stiffelio
1851 Rigoletto
1853 Il Trovatore
1853 La Traviata
1855 Les Vêpres Siciliennes
1857 Simone Boccanegra
1859 Un Ballo in Maschera
1863 La Forza del Destino
1867 Don Carlos
1871 Aida
1887 Otello
1893 Falstaff
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
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Giuseppe Verdi was born in Roncole on October 10th, 1813, the son of a
tavern keeper. Verdi learned music starting at the age of
three from a pastor in his village's church using a spinette that Verdi
owned. The spinette still survives in a museum in Milan.
Verdi's genius was evident from the beginning. He composed instrumental
religious works, sinfonies, and arias for the Filarmonica di Busseto -
the philharmonic band located near the village where Verdi grew up.
From very early on, Verdi wanted to be an opera composer. At the beginning
it was difficult to find a good libretto, and it was almost impossible to
find a stage to perform the completed work. No theater trusted
the work of a novice composer. Through hard work and diligence, Verdi
eventually experienced modest success with his opera "Oberto" in 1839.
A few years later in 1842, he had even greater success with "Nabucco."
The opera, interpreted as a political statement on the oppression of the
Hebrews, was met with international acclaim.
Even with his first operas, Verdi displayed a captivating new style.
His style was bold and subtle in a way that was different from the
masters of the period like Rossini, Donizzeti and Bellini. Verdi was a
prolific composer. Within a ten-year period he wrote several operas
including "Ernani" in 1844 and "MacBeth" in 1847. These operas showcased
Verdi's ability to combine character and story alongside his compelling
music.
Verdi's success continued into the early 1850's with "Rigoletto" in
1851, "Il Trovatore" in 1853, and, of course, "La Traviata", also in
1853. Verdi had reached the point where he could refuse commissions,
instead concentrating only on those tasks that interested him. The
operas "Don Carlos" in 1867, and "Aida" in 1871, deftly explored the
conflicts between public and private responsibility.
After retiring to become a gentleman farmer in Sant'Agata near his
birthplace, Verdi was persuaded to return to composing with the
opportunity to create an opera based on Shakespeare's "Othello."
The result, "Otello" in 1887, is a masterpiece of dramatic pacing and
musical structure. Other operas followed, including the opera "Falstaff,"
based on Shakespeare's play, "The Merry Wives of Windsor."
Verdi died on January 27, 1901 at the age of 88.
Puccini
Wagner