Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was born in Le Roncole, near Busseto Italy in 1813. His father was an innkeeper and had no musical training. However, Giuseppe showed some talent for the organ. He was taught composition by Ferdinando Provesi, who was the director of the local philharmonic society. When in his twenties Giuseppe traveled to Milan to study at the conservatory, he was however turned down because of his age. So instead, he decided to take private lessons in counterpoint while he went to performances of operas in Milan. Returning home in 1830, he became a music teacher to the daughter of Antonio Barezzi, who was a great music lover.

In 1839, he wrote his first opera "Oberto" which was produced in Milan. It received a good deal of success, and he was given a contract to compose another two operas. The second opera was "Un giorno di regno", however during the writing of the opera, his wife and children died which led him to despair. However, an impresario named Bartolomeo Merelli encouraged him to compose another opera "Nabucco" in 1842. It made Giuseppe famous overnight and the Hebrew chorus "Va pensiero" became a national tune. His next opera was "I Lombardi" in 1843 which gave him a right to stay at La Scala. Giuseppe throughout his life continued to make great operas that are well known today. Some of them still performed many times today are;

• Ernani composed in 1844
• Attila composed in 1846
• Macbeth composed in 1847
• Luisa Miller composed in 1849
• Stiffelio composed in 1850
• Rigoletto composed in 1851
• Il trovatore composed in 1853
• La traviata composed in 1853
• Simon Boccanegra composed in 1857
• Un ballo in maschera composed in 1859
• La forza del destino composed in 1862
• Don Carlos composed in 1867
• Aida composed in 1870
• Otello composed in 1887
• Falstaff composed in 1893

The above list are operas which have became very famous, however there are many more operas that are performed today that were not mentioned.

Giuseppe was greatly honored and admired throughout his lifetime and became known as the master of grand opera. In 1901 he suffered a major stroke, and a few days later he died. His funeral which was to be temporary was a very quite one, only his family and friends attended. A month later his coffin was transferred to a crypt at Casa di Roposo, it was a state ceremony and over twenty thousand people lined the streets.