Verdi Operas
If you ask a passer-by in any country in the world to sing something from an opera, most will remember "Libiamo ...", "Heart of a beauty ..." or "Va, penciero ...". The operas by Giuseppe Verdi have so penetrated the life of even the most distant people from music that it seems that they have always been. Indeed, art cannot be imagined without these melodies. Moreover, without Verdi there would be no subsequent generations of composers whose work followed the path created by his talent.
The history of the creation of operas by Giuseppe Verdi, as well as the content and many interesting facts read on our page.
Verdi's operatic works
Verdi began writing operas in the era of the sunset era of the bel canto - Rossini walked away from writing Bellini died, in the creative force was only Donizetti. Unlike these great composers, who started their careers in smaller theaters, Giuseppe received the first order right away from the main European opera house.
Fate led him to fame from the youngest years and, it seems, always gave a little more than others - he was only 10 when Antonio Barezzi, a wealthy resident of Busetto and a member of his Philharmonic Society, paid attention to the musically gifted child. Thanks to his patron, the son of an innkeeper graduated from the gymnasium and began to take lessons from the best teachers. Verdi never received a formal education - he was not accepted to the Milan Conservatory, he did not make any other attempts. Despite this, a few years later, the 25-year-old composer released his debut opera right on the stage of La Scala. “Oberto, Count di San Bonifacio” demonstrated the strength, energy and dramatic talent inherent in Verdi at the start of his career.
Popular Verdi Operas
"Traviata"
The most popular, the most famous, the main opera of the world repertoire - any superlative degree in relation to this work would be appropriate. The love story of a courtesan to a young aristocrat, unselfish self-sacrifice, crowned with a tragic finale. It seems that this woman had many names - Violetta Valerie (opera heroine), Marguerite Duval (heroine of the novel “The Lady with Camellias”), Marie Duplessis (courtesan and the real beloved Dumas-son). But this series is incomplete without the name of Giuseppina Strepponi - the second wife of Verdi. They met while staging his first opera. Giuseppina had never been married before, had children from different men and was forced to give them up for foster care. The relationship of the singer and composer began in Paris - the only city where they could be together without fear of censure.
In patriarchal Italy, Giuseppina was almost a hermit — just to live with his beloved woman, Verdi bought a huge estate and became a homebody, doing winemaking and growing vegetables. But even on rare days of visits to the city, Giuseppina heard a condemning whisper behind her back. 12 years passed until she became Verdi Signior in Geneva. But it was for his Peppina that Giuseppe wrote the world's most beautiful opera about love, showing generosity, sincerity and nobility, living in the heart of the one whom society denounced as "fallen."
"Rigoletto"
The composer’s seventeenth opera and the first one that never needed renewals - from the day of the premiere she entered the repertoire of the main world opera houses and does not leave it to this day.
It’s hard to imagine how this hit could once have caused a scandal, but the plot chosen by Verdi for a new work aroused theatrical management and aroused disapproval of the censors. The play “The King is Amusing” by V. Hugo, which served as the source for the libretto, was banned after the first Parisian performance of 1832 and was never staged for the next 50 years! In December 1850, a few weeks before the premiere "Rigoletto"The Austrian governor in Venice canceled the performance, finding it immoral and obscene.
Such a serious rejection by the authorities was provoked by the images of the two main characters in the drama. The Duke of Mantua is shown as a man completely devoid of conscience and driven only by sexual instincts. Meanwhile, his jester - a base creature, disgusting and ugly - shows complex and partly noble feelings. Thus, the work opposed the unspoken prejudices of the time, according to which notable people were an example of lofty thoughts, beautiful deeds and unshakable principles.
Never before has Verdi put music into action as ruthlessly as in Rigoletto, where the formal structures of the Italian opera of the early 19th century are dissolved to create a developing musical frame that meets the needs of drama every minute. At the same time adding a series of unforgettable scenes and a group of characters with complex connections and pronounced individual musical characters. "Rigoletto" is a vivid example of the composer's early maturity, an opera in which innocence is contrasted with cynicism, love comes into conflict with an inexorable vengeful spirit centered on the controversial figure of a jester.
"Aida"
By the opening of the Cairo Opera Theater, Khedive of Egypt ordered a piece for an Egyptian plot. Verdi very quickly wrote a great opera - a bright spectacle with a mass of participants involved, played out in exotic scenery. In this grand form does not overshadow the intimate nature of personal drama, which is located in the center of the plot. The love of an Ethiopian slave, forced to hide his royal lineage, and the captain of the Egyptian Guard is in conflict with patriotic duty and people endowed with power. "Aida"summed up all the achievements of Verdi up to this point and, it seemed, the maestro wrote an opera that can complete his career. Indeed, his next work came out only 16 years later.
Nabucco
Nabucco became a turning point in Verdi’s career and marked a new era in the entire Italian opera. After the failure of the opera King for a Day, which coincided with the loss of the first wife and two young children, the composer was almost broken. The only thing that could still inspire hope in their own strength - the first opera, "Oberto", was not forgotten and staged in Italian theaters. At this moment, by chance, Verdi gets a ready-made libretto - it was intended for the composer Otto Nicolai, but did not interest the latter. The biblical story about how Jews languished in captivity of the Babylonian king Nebuchadonasor, and then were released when the king converted to Christianity. This theme coincided with the aspiration of the Italian people, who were eager to get rid of foreign occupation. Verdi managed to create a soulful and powerful piece. In the very first year, 67 performances were given at La Scala, and over the next 6 years "Nabucco"was staged in most of the world's leading opera houses. The third opera brought Verdi international recognition.
"Troubadour"
The plot of "The Troubadour" on the opera is exaggerated and at all times caused the irony of skeptics. Despite this, Verdi put this example of romanticism into fierce and passionate music, which carries the plot from the moment of lyrical beginning to the tragic denouement. The hero is a gypsy in love with a noble lady, his opponent is a cruel and arrogant nobleman, ironically his brother. The driving force of the plot is also given by the old gypsy Azuchena, thirsty for revenge, whose image Verdi loved very much. "Troubadour"- one of the darkest works of the maestro, in which the most negative aspects of human nature are exposed.
"Masked Ball"
On March 16, 1792, the Swedish king Gustav III was mortally wounded at a ball by an army officer participating in an aristocratic conspiracy. The dramatist E. Scribe and the composer D. Aubert first tried to clothe historical drama with theatrical means. After 10 years, an opera on this plot was created by S. Mercadante. Verdi undoubtedly knew about these works. To write the libretto of the opera for the Neapolitan San Carlo, he proposed Antonio Somme, who, being an excellent playwright, was not very confident in the art of the librettist. As a result, the text is largely based on the original Scribe. As expected, the topic was too complex for Neapolitan censorship, and after repeated changes in the logic of the plot began to form noticeable omissions. Refusing to cooperate with Naples, Verdi tried to sell the opera to Rome. But even there, in the city, where Scribe's play was played in drama theaters, the opera was not allowed without editing. As a result, politically safe Boston was chosen as the site of action, and an ordinary governor replaced the brilliant king. Only in the 20th century theaters began to refer to the original version of the plot.
Othello
The plot of the tragedy of Shakespeare is on three pillars - of love, envy and jealousy. A close friend was suddenly the most archenemy of the enemy. But for the appearance of the opera "Othello" to the light, everything happened exactly the opposite - the enemy became a friend and a devoted coauthor. Arrigo Boito was one of the most talented Italian librettists and composers. In 1863, he made an accusatory speech against the current state of Italian art and, in particular, against Verdi, his leading musical representative. Verdi was very offended by this and for many years quoted this text whenever the name of Boito appeared. It took a long time for the creators to settle mutual claims and set about discussing Othello. The wise maestro checked the talents of the co-author first on the remake of Simon Boccanegra. Considering the work successful, he trusted Arrigo completely and for good reason - having not only literary but also composing experience, Boito perfectly felt the genre and no one understood the maestro. "Othello"raised the language of the Italian opera of the 19th century to the Shakespearean level of wealth and complexity and is the greatest opera masterpiece of all times and peoples.
Interesting Facts
- Verdi's second century remains the most popular operatic composer. Over the past 15 years, his works have been performed over 40,000 times, markedly ahead of the closest pursuers in the face of Mozart and Puccini.
- How many operas did the maestro write? There is no single answer to this question. If we consider the original works to be completely, then 26. If we regard "Jerusalem" (based on "Lombards in the First Crusade") and "Aroldo" (based on "Stifelio") as separate operas, then - 28.
- Premieres of most of the works of the maestro held in Italy The exceptions were: "Robbers", written specifically for London, "Jerusalem", "Sicilian vespers" and "Don carlos"that the Paris Opera ordered,"Power of fate"written for St. Petersburg,"Aida"created for the Kars Opera.
- When King Umberto I offered Verdi the title of Marquis for his services to his fatherland, he refused, noting: "I am a peasant."
- Verdi did not like to waste money. When he sold his wine to the residents of the surrounding places, he asked them to return empty bottles to him.
- The notes of the aria "La donna è mobile" ("The Heart of a Beauty ...") Verdi handed to the tenor and the orchestra at the last moment, with the oath that none of them would sing this tune outside the theater. The maestro understood that otherwise the whole city would sing this catchy song before the opera premiere.
- When Verdi was asked for his mailing address, he dictated: “Italy. Maestro Verdi”
In the 19th century, the world changed beyond recognition - a photograph and a bicycle, a subway and a telephone, a car and a dishwasher were invented ... All the more surprising during the era of change is the 55-year consistency with which world theater scenes invariably led Giuseppe Verdi - A boy from the village, who became the main opera genius in history.
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