a brief history of one of opera’s greats: giuseppe verdi
DESCRIPTION
Giuseppe Verdi left behind a legacy of operas that have stood the test of time and left an indelible mark on the world of western culture.TRANSCRIPT
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF ONE OF OPERA’S GREATS: GIUSEPPE VERDI
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Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was born October 9th, 1813 and died January 27th 1901.
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He was an Italian Romantic composer mainly recognized for his operas.
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Verdi is considered one of the preeminent opera composers of the nineteenth century.
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His productions are regularly performed in opera houses throughout the world and, surpassing
the boundaries of the genre,
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and a couple of his themes have long since been embodied in popular culture.
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Verdi was born the son of Carlo Giuseppe Verdi and Luigia Uttini in Le Roncole.
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As a child, Verdi and his parents moved from Le Roncole to Busseto, where the future composer’s education was greatly influenced by trips to the large library belonging to the local
Jesuit school.
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Busseto was where Verdi was given his first lessons in composition.
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When Verdi was twenty, he went to Milan to continue his education.
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Milan’s beaumonde association convinced him that he should pursue a career as a theatre
composer.
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Verdi’s first production, Oberto, was held in Milan’s La Scala in Nobermber of 1839.
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The production was received favorably by theatergoers and critics, after which Bartolomeo Merelli, La Scala’s impresario,
offered Verdi his first contract for three more works.
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Thus starting his illustrious career as a composer.
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While he was working on his second opera, Un giorno di regno, Verdi’s wife passed away.
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Along with his second opera flopping, Verdi fell into a deep depression and vowed to give up
musical composition forever.
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However, Merelli convinced him to write Nabucco, and its opening performance in
March of 1842 made Verdi famous.
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Verdi remarried a couple of years later to a soprano by the name of Giuseppina Strepponi.
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Between 1855 and 1870 there was an flood of prolific Verdi operas:
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among them were such staples as Un ballo in maschera (1859), La forza del destino (1862), a revised version of
Macbeth (1865), and his grand opera Aida (1869).
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During the following years, Verdi worked on revising a couple of his earlier scores, which became new versions of
La forza del destino, Don Carlos, and Simon Boccanegra.
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF ONE OF OPERA’S GREATS: GIUSEPPE VERDI