The exact circumstances of Giuseppe Verdi's birth are lost to history; history, and we, have wanted to know them. Some speculate he was born on October 10, 1813, others turned his supposed birthplace into a national monument, but the composer himself...
[more]The exact circumstances of Giuseppe Verdi's birth are lost to history; history, and we, have wanted to know them. Some speculate he was born on October 10, 1813, others turned his supposed birthplace into a national monument, but the composer himself refused to confirm the accuracy of these biographical details. Likewise, the circumstances of his foray into music are largely unknown.
What is known is this: born in 1813 during the week of the Festival of San Donnino, Verdi expressed a passion for music from an early age. At the music school he attended in the small town of Busseto, near the village in which he was born, his abilities surpassed those of the other students. Upon graduation, he was rejectd from the prestigious Milan Conservatory, but continued to pursue his musical studies privately. In 1836, he was given a position in Busseto, and married the daughter of his patron. Verdi's troubles were far from over, however. As he labored to complete his second opera (his first had been a moderate success), his two young children and his wife died. The opera was a failure, and Verdi, alone and heartbroken, swore he would never compose again.
Luckily for us, he could not keep this promise. Verdi endured nearly a dozen years of hardship, but by the age of 30, he had acquired world fame and the love of his nation. The libretto for "Nabucco" inspired him to compose "I Lombardi," which voiced the sentiments of a country yearning for independence from foreign control. From that time on, Verdi was in high demand in Italy and throughout the world.
The list of his masterpieces runs long: the politically controversial "Un Ballo en Maschera," the grand, complex "Don Carlos," the epic "Aida," and the moving, dramatic "Requiem" are just a few. From 1844 to 1853 Verdi composed nearly a dozen operas, ending the streak with three triumphs: "Rigoletto," "Il Trovatore," and "La Traviata." These culminating works feature strong vocal lines, dramatic, often tragic storylines, and sweeping, majestic orchestral lines: a web of word and sound that catches every shade of feeling.
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