Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi

 Born at Le Roncole, near Parma in 1813Died of a stroke at Milan in 1901

Italian composer. His world recognition is due mainly to his operas His parents were landowners and innkeepers.

Known as 'the swan from Busseto'.

Early LifeHe studied composition privately with

Ferdinando Provesi in Busseto. At age 20 he moved to Milan to continue his studies, but the Conservatory of Music rejected him. Verdi took private lessons and associated with Milan's cultural milieu in his pursuit of a musical career. He was patronized by Antonio Barezzi, a merchant, whose daughter, Margherita, was Verdi's student and later became his wife.

Career as a politicianVerdi's musical success

coincided with the political events of Italian unification during the Austrian occupation.

Many of his opera performances were used by the supporters.

 From 1861-1865 he was elected representative of Busseto in the newly formed Italian parliament. 

Musical StyleThe music of Verdi

served the audience of the mass public rather than that of the musical elite.

  He uses duets, trios and quartets along with significant and memorable passages for chorus.

List of his major works

Aida•http://youtu.be/AssDQbaIP_I

La Traviata•http://youtu.be/s8zE-WNA6os

Rigoletto•http://youtu.be/8A3zetSuYRg

Nabucco

•http://youtu.be/y0EAL3vXZrM

TriviaBorn at 8:00pm-LMTWrote his earlier operas in a style now known as "bel canto"

or "beautiful singing"; beginning with Otello, wrote in a more dramatic style.

Was idolized by conductor Arturo Toscanini. Italian composer. His world recognition is due mainly to his

operas. Among these, the best known are: "Rigoletto", "Il Trovatore", "La Traviata", "La Forza del Destino", "Aida", "Otello" and "Falstaff". "Otello" and "Falstaff" are considered by most critics to be the finest operas ever adapted from Shakespeare. Verdi wrote "Falstaff" when he was eighty, in 1893. The tenor aria "La donna e mobile", from "Rigoletto", is one of the most famous arias ever written for an opera, and is familiar even to people who never listen to opera.

Referenceshttp://

www.8notes.com/biographies/verdi.asp#Verdi.27s_Nationalism

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006333/bio

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/verdi.html

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