Posted by Giuseppe Verdi. The operatic work of Giuseppe Verdi: a general overview

Like any powerful talent. Verdi reflects his nationality and his era. He is the flower of his soil. He is the voice of modern Italy, not the lazily dozing or carelessly having fun Italy in the comic and pseudo-serious operas of Rossini and Donizetti, not the sentimentally tender and elegiac, crying Italy of Bellini, but an Italy awakened to consciousness, an Italy agitated by political storms, an Italy , bold and passionate to the point of fury.
A. Serov

No one could feel life better than Verdi.
A. Boito

Verdi is a classic of Italian musical culture, one of the most significant composers of the 19th century V. His music is characterized by a spark of high civic pathos that does not fade over time, unmistakable accuracy in the embodiment of the most complex processes occurring in the depths of human soul, nobility, beauty and inexhaustible melody. The composer penned 26 operas, sacred and instrumental works, and romances. The most significant part of Verdi’s creative heritage is operas, many of which (“Rigoletto”, “La Traviata”, “Aida”, “Otello”) have been performed on the stages of opera houses around the world for more than a hundred years. Works of other genres, with the exception of the inspired Requiem, are practically unknown, and the manuscripts of most of them have been lost.

Verdi, unlike many musicians of the 19th century, did not proclaim his creative principles in programmatic speeches in print, and did not connect his work with the establishment of the aesthetics of a particular artistic movement. Nevertheless, his long, difficult, not always rapid and crowned with victories creative path was directed towards a deeply suffered and conscious goal - the achievement of musical realism in an opera performance. Life in all its diversity of conflicts is the overarching theme of the composer’s work. The range of its embodiment was unusually wide - from social conflicts to the confrontation of feelings in the soul of one person. At the same time, Verdi's art carries within itself a feeling of special beauty and harmony. “I like everything that is beautiful in art,” said the composer. His own music also became an example of beautiful, sincere and inspired art.

Clearly aware of his creative tasks, Verdi was tireless in his search for the most perfect forms of realizing his ideas, and was extremely demanding of himself, librettists and performers. He often chose himself literary basis for the libretto, discussed in detail with the librettists the entire process of its creation. The most fruitful collaboration connected the composer with such librettists as T. Solera, F. Piave, A. Ghislanzoni, A. Boito. Verdi demanded dramatic truth from singers; he was intolerant of any manifestation of falsehood on stage, meaningless virtuosity, not colored by deep feelings, not justified by dramatic action. “...Great talent, soul and stage flair” - these are the qualities that he primarily valued in performers. “Meaningful, reverent” performance of operas seemed necessary to him; “...when operas cannot be performed in all their integrity - the way they were intended by the composer - it is better not to perform them at all.”

Verdi lived a long life. He was born into the family of a peasant innkeeper. His teachers were the village church organist P. Baistrocchi, then F. Provesi, who headed the musical life in Busseto, and the conductor of the Milan La Scala theater V. Lavigna. Being already mature composer, Verdi wrote: “I learned some best works modern times, not by studying them, but by hearing them in the theater... I would be lying if I said that in my youth I did not go through a long and rigorous study... my hand is strong enough to handle notes the way I do willing, and confident enough to achieve the effects I intended in most cases; and if I write something not according to the rules, it happens because the exact rule does not give me what I want, and because I do not consider all the rules adopted to this day to be absolutely good.”

The young composer’s first success was associated with the production of the opera “Oberto” at the La Scala Theater in Milan in 1839. Three years later, the opera “Nebuchadnezzar” (“Nabucco”) was staged in the same theater, which brought the author wide fame (1841). The composer's first operas appeared during the era of revolutionary upsurge in Italy, which was called the era of Risorgimento (Italian - renaissance). The struggle for the unification and independence of Italy embraced the entire people. Verdi could not stay away. He deeply experienced the victories and defeats of the revolutionary movement, although he did not consider himself a politician. Heroic-patriotic operas of the 40s. - “Nabucco” (1841), “Lombards in the First Crusade” (1842), “Battle of Legnano” (1848) - were a kind of response to revolutionary events. The biblical and historical plots of these operas, far from modern times, glorified heroism, freedom and independence, and therefore were close to thousands of Italians. "Maestro Italian revolution“- this is what contemporaries called Verdi, whose work became extremely popular.

However, the creative interests of the young composer were not limited to the theme of heroic struggle. In search of new subjects, the composer turns to the classics of world literature: V. Hugo (“Ernani”, 1844), V. Shakespeare (“Macbeth”, 1847), F. Schiller (“Louise Miller”, 1849). The expansion of creative topics was accompanied by the search for new musical means, the growth of compositional skill. Period creative maturity was noted for a remarkable triad of operas: “Rigoletto” (1851), “Il Trovatore” (1853), “La Traviata” (1853). For the first time in Verdi's work, a protest against social injustice was so openly voiced. The heroes of these operas, endowed with ardent, noble feelings, come into conflict with generally accepted moral norms. Turning to such plots was an extremely bold step (Verdi wrote about La Traviata: “The plot is modern. Another would not have taken on this plot, perhaps because of decency, because of the era and because of a thousand other stupid prejudices.. I do it with the greatest pleasure."

By the mid-50s. the name Verdi is widely known throughout the world. The composer enters into contracts not only with Italian theaters. In 1854 he creates the opera “Sicilian Vespers” for the Parisian Grand Opera Theater; a few years later the operas “Simon Boccanegra” (1857) and “Un ballo in maschera” (1859, for the Italian theaters San Carlo and Appolo) were written. In 1861, by order of the directorate of the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater Verdi creates the opera "Force of Destiny". In connection with its production, the composer travels to Russia twice. The opera was not a great success, although Verdi's music was popular in Russia.

Among the operas of the 60s. The opera “Don Carlos” (1867), based on Schiller’s drama of the same name, gained the greatest popularity. The music of "Don Carlos", saturated with deep psychologism, anticipates the peaks of Verdi's operatic creativity - "Aida" and "Othello". “Aida” was written in 1870 for the opening of a new theater in Cairo. It organically merged the achievements of all previous operas: the perfection of music, bright colors, and refinement of drama.

Following “Aida,” “Requiem” (1874) was created, after which there was a long (more than 10 years) silence caused by the crisis in social and musical life. In Italy there was a widespread passion for the music of R. Wagner, while the national culture was in oblivion. The current situation was not just a struggle of tastes, different aesthetic positions, without which it is unthinkable artistic practice, and the development of all art. It was a time when the priority of national artistic traditions, which was especially deeply felt by the patriots of Italian art. Verdi reasoned: “Art belongs to all peoples. Nobody believes this more strongly than I do. But it develops individually. And if the Germans have a different artistic practice than we do, their art is fundamentally different from ours. We cannot compose like the Germans..."

Thinking about future fate Italian music, feeling enormous responsibility for every next step, Verdi began to realize the concept of the opera Othello (1886), which became a true masterpiece. "Othello" is an unsurpassed interpretation of Shakespeare's plot in the operatic genre, a perfect example of the musical-psychological drama that the composer spent his entire life creating.

Verdi's last work - the comic opera "Falstaff" (1892) - surprises with its cheerfulness and impeccable skill; it seems to open a new page in the composer’s work, which, unfortunately, was not continued. Verdi’s whole life is illuminated by a deep conviction in the correctness of the chosen path: “When it comes to art, I have my own thoughts, my own convictions, very clear, very precise, which I cannot and should not refuse.” L. Escudier, one of the composer’s contemporaries, very aptly described him: “Verdi had only three passions. But they reached greatest power: love of art, national feeling and friendship." Interest in Verdi's passionate and truthful work continues unabated. For new generations of music lovers, it invariably remains a classical standard, combining clarity of thought, inspiration of feeling and musical perfection.

A. Zolotykh

Opera was at the center of Verdi's artistic interests. At the very early stage of his work, in Busseto, he wrote many instrumental works (their manuscripts have been lost), but never returned to this genre. The exception is the string quartet of 1873, which was not intended by the composer for public performance. On the same teenage years By the nature of his activity as an organist, Verdi composed sacred music. Towards the end of his career - after the Requiem - he created several more works of this kind (Stabat mater, Te Deum and others). A few romances also belong to the early creative period. He devoted all his energy to opera for more than half a century, starting from Oberto (1839) and ending with Falstaff (1893).

Verdi wrote twenty-six operas, six of them given in a new, significantly changed version. (By decades, these works are arranged as follows: late 30s - 40s - 14 operas (+1 in the new edition), 50s - 7 operas (+1 in the new edition), 60s - 2 operas (+2 in the new edition), 70s - 1 opera, 80s - 1 opera (+2 in the new edition), 90s - 1 opera.) Throughout the great life path he remained true to his aesthetic ideals. “I may not have enough strength to achieve what I want, but I know what I am striving for,” wrote Verdi in 1868. These words can describe his entire creative activity. But over the years, the composer’s artistic ideals became clearer and his skill became more perfect and honed.

Verdi strove to embody drama that was “strong, simple, significant.” In 1853, while composing La Traviata, he wrote: “I dream of new large, beautiful, varied, bold subjects, and extremely bold ones.” In another letter (of the same year) we read: “Give me a beautiful, original plot, interesting, with magnificent situations, passions, - above all, passions!..”.

True and vivid dramatic situations, sharply defined characters - this is what, according to Verdi, is the main thing in an opera plot. And if in the works of the early, romantic period, the development of situations did not always contribute to the consistent development of characters, then by the 50s the composer clearly realized that the deepening of this connection serves as the basis for creating a vitally truthful musical drama. That is why, having firmly taken the path of realism, Verdi condemned modern Italian opera for its monotonous, monotonous plots and routine forms. He also condemned his previously written works for the insufficient breadth of showing life’s contradictions: “They contain scenes that arouse great interest, but there is no variety. They affect only one side - the sublime, if you like - but always the same.”

In Verdi's understanding, opera is unthinkable without the utmost sharpening of conflicting contradictions. Dramatic situations, the composer said, should reveal human passions in their characteristic, individual form. Therefore, Verdi resolutely opposed all sorts of routine in the libretto. In 1851, when starting work on Il Trovatore, Verdi wrote: “The freer Cammarano (the opera’s librettist.- M.D.) will interpret the form, the better for me, the more satisfied I will be.” A year earlier, having conceived an opera based on the plot of Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” Verdi pointed out: “There is no need to make a drama out of Lear in the generally accepted form. It would be necessary to find a new, larger form, free from bias.”

For Verdi, the plot is a means of effectively revealing the idea of the work. The composer's life is permeated with the search for such subjects. Since "Hernani" he has been persistently looking for literary sources for his operatic plans. An excellent connoisseur of Italian (and Latin) literature, Verdi was well versed in German, French, and English drama. His favorite authors are Dante, Shakespeare, Byron, Schiller, Hugo. (About Shakespeare, Verdi wrote in 1865: “He is my favorite writer, whom I have known since early childhood and I re-read it all the time.” He wrote three operas based on Shakespeare's plots, dreamed of Hamlet and The Tempest, and returned to work on King Lear four times (in 1847, 1849, 1856 and 1869); based on Byron's plots - two operas (the unfinished plan for "Cain"), Schiller - four, Hugo - two (the plan for "Ruy Blas").)

Verdi's creative initiative was not limited to the choice of subject. He actively supervised the work of the librettist. “I have never written operas based on ready-made librettos made by someone else,” said the composer, “I just can’t understand how a screenwriter can be born who can accurately guess what I can translate into an opera.” Verdi's extensive correspondence is filled with creative instructions and advice to his literary collaborators. These instructions primarily concern scenario plan operas. The composer demanded maximum concentration of the plot development of the literary source and for this - reduction of side lines of intrigue, compression of the text of the drama.

Verdi prescribed to his collaborators the verbiage he needed, the rhythm of the poems and the number of words needed for the music. He paid special attention to “key” phrases in the text of the libretto, designed to clearly reveal the content of a specific dramatic situation or character. “It doesn’t matter whether there is this or that word, a phrase is needed that will excite, will be scenic,” he wrote in 1870 to the librettist of Aida. Improving the libretto of “Othello”, he removed phrases and words that were unnecessary, in his opinion, demanded rhythmic variety in the text, broke the “smoothness” of the verse, which constrained musical development, achieved extreme expressiveness and laconicism.

Verdi's bold ideas did not always receive worthy expression from his literary collaborators. Thus, while highly appreciating the libretto of “Rigoletto,” the composer noted the weak verses in it. Much did not satisfy him in the dramaturgy of “Troubadour”, “Sicilian Vespers”, “Don Carlos”. Having failed to achieve a completely convincing script and literary embodiment of his innovative idea in the libretto of King Lear, he was forced to abandon the completion of the opera.

In intense work with librettists, Verdi’s idea for the composition finally matured. He usually started music only after developing the complete literary text of the entire opera.

Verdi said that the most difficult thing for him was “to write quickly enough to express a musical thought in the integrity with which it was born in the mind.” He recalled: “When I was young, I often worked without a break from four in the morning until seven in the evening.” Even in his old age, when creating the score of Falstaff, he immediately instrumentalized the completed large passages, since he was “afraid of forgetting some orchestral combinations and timbre combinations.”

When creating music, Verdi had in mind the possibilities of its stage implementation. Associated with various theaters until the mid-50s, he often resolved certain issues of musical drama depending on the performing forces that the given group had. Moreover, Verdi was interested not only in the vocal qualities of the singers. In 1857, before the premiere of Simon Boccanegra, he pointed out: “The role of Paolo is very important, it is absolutely necessary to find a baritone who would be good actor" Back in 1848, in connection with the planned production of Macbeth in Naples, Verdi rejected the singer Tadolini proposed to him, since her vocal and stage abilities were not suitable for the intended role: “Tadolini has a magnificent, clear, transparent, powerful voice, and I I would like for a lady a dull, harsh, gloomy voice. Tadolini has something angelic in her voice, but I would like the lady to have something devilish in her voice.”

In learning his operas, right up to Falstaff, Verdi took an energetic part, interfering in the work of the conductor, and paid especially much attention to the singers, carefully going through the parts with them. Thus, the singer Barbieri-Nini, who performed the role of Lady Macbeth at the premiere in 1847, testified that the composer rehearsed the duet with her up to 150 times, achieving the means of vocal expression he needed. He worked just as demandingly at the age of 74 with the famous tenor Francesco Tamagno, who performed the role of Othello.

Verdi Special attention devoted to issues of stage interpretation of opera. His correspondence contains many valuable statements on these issues. “All the forces of the stage provide dramatic expressiveness,” wrote Verdi, “and not just the musical rendering of cavatinas, duets, finales, etc.” In connection with the production of “Forces of Destiny” in 1869, he complained about the critic, who wrote only about the vocal side of the performer: “About the varied, widely deployed life pictures, filling half of the opera and giving it the character of a musical drama, neither the reviewer nor the audience says anything..." Noting the musicality of the performers, the composer emphasized: “Opera, don’t get me wrong, that is stage-musical drama, was given very mediocrely.” It is precisely against this taking the music off the stage and Verdi protested: while participating in the learning and staging of his works, he demanded the truth of feelings and actions both in singing and in stage movement. Verdi argued that only under the condition of dramatic unity of all means of musical and stage expressiveness can an opera performance be complete.

Thus, starting from the choice of plot in intense work with the librettist, during the creation of music, during its stage implementation - at all stages of work on the opera, from the inception of the idea to the production, the master’s imperious will manifested itself, which confidently led his native Italian art to heights realism.

Verdi's operatic ideals developed as a result for long years creative work, great practical work, persistent quest. He knew well the state of his contemporary musical theater Europe. Spending a lot of time abroad, Verdi met the best troupes in Europe - from St. Petersburg to Paris, Vienna, London, Madrid. He was familiar with the operas of the greatest composers of our time (Verdi probably heard Glinka’s operas in St. Petersburg. The Italian composer’s personal library had the score of “The Stone Guest” by Dargomyzhsky.). Verdi assessed them with the same degree of criticality with which he approached his own work. And often I didn’t assimilate so much artistic achievements others national cultures, how much he processed in his own way, overcame their influence.

This is how he treated the musical and stage traditions of the French theater: they were well known to him, if only because three of his works (“Sicilian Vespers”, “Don Carlos”, the second edition of “Macbeth”) were written for the Parisian stage. The same was his attitude towards Wagner, whose operas, mainly from the middle period, he knew, and some of them highly valued (“Lohengrin”, “Die Walküre”), but Verdi creatively polemicized with both Meyerbeer and Wagner. He did not belittle their importance for the development of French or German musical culture, but rejected the possibility of slavish imitation of them. Verdi wrote: “If the Germans, starting from Bach, reach Wagner, then they act like true Germans. But we, the descendants of Palestrina, imitating Wagner, are committing a musical crime, creating art that is unnecessary and even harmful.” “We feel differently,” he added.

The question of Wagner's influence became especially acute in Italy starting in the 60s; many young composers succumbed to him (The most ardent admirers of Wagner in Italy were Liszt's student, the composer J. Sgambatti, conductor G. Martucci, A. Boito(at the beginning of its creative career, see you with Verdi) and others.). Verdi noted with bitterness: “All of us - composers, critics, the public - did everything possible to renounce our musical nationality. Here we are at a quiet pier... one more step, and we will be Germanized in this, as in everything else.” It was difficult and painful for him to hear from the lips of young people and some critics the words that his previous operas were outdated and did not meet modern requirements, and the current ones, starting with Aida, were following in the footsteps of Wagner. “What an honor, after a forty-year creative career, to end up as a copycat!” - Verdi exclaimed angrily.

But he did not reject the value of Wagner's artistic achievements. The German composer made him think about a lot, and above all - about the role of the orchestra in opera, which was underestimated by the first Italian composers half of the 19th century century (including Verdi himself at an early stage of his work), about increasing the importance of harmony (and this important means musical expressiveness was neglected by the authors of Italian opera) and, finally, about the development of principles of end-to-end development to overcome the dismemberment of forms of number structure.

However, for all these questions, the most important for the musical dramaturgy of opera in the second half of the century, Verdi found their solutions different from Wagner's. Moreover, he outlined them even before becoming acquainted with the works of the brilliant German composer. For example, the use of “timbre dramaturgy” in the scene of the appearance of spirits in “Macbeth” or in the depiction of an ominous thunderstorm in “Rigoletto”, the use of string divisi in a high register in the introduction to the last act of “La Traviata” or trombones in Miserere “Il Trovatore” - these are bold, individual instrumentation techniques were found independently of Wagner. And if we talk about anyone’s influence on Verdi’s orchestra, we should rather have in mind Berlioz, whom he greatly appreciated and with whom he had been on friendly terms since the early 60s.

Verdi was equally independent in his search for a fusion of the principles of song-aria (bel canto) and declamation (parlante). He developed his own special “mixed style” (stilo misto), which served as the basis for him to create free forms of monologue or dialogic scenes. Rigoletto’s aria “Courtisans, fiends of vice” or the spiritual duel between Germont and Violetta were also written before becoming acquainted with Wagner’s operas. Of course, familiarization with them helped Verdi to more boldly develop new principles of drama, which especially affected his harmonic language, which became more complex and flexible. But between creative principles There are fundamental differences between Wagner and Verdi. They clearly appear in their attitude to the role of the vocal element in opera.

With all the attention that Verdi paid to the orchestra in his last works, he recognized the vocal-melodic factor as the leading one. Thus, regarding Puccini’s early operas, Verdi wrote in 1892: “It seems to me that the symphonic principle prevails here. This in itself is not bad, but you have to be careful: an opera is an opera, and a symphony is a symphony.”

“Voice and melody,” said Verdi, “will always be the most important thing for me.” He ardently defended this position, believing that it expressed typical national traits Italian music. In his project for the reform of public education, presented to the government in 1861, Verdi advocated the organization of free evening schools singing, for every possible stimulation of vocal music-making at home. Ten years later, he appealed to young composers to study classical Italian vocal literature, including the works of Palestrina. Verdi saw the mastery of the peculiarities of the singing culture of the people as the key to the successful development of national traditions of musical art. However, the content that he put into the concepts of “melody” and “melody” changed.

In the years of creative maturity, he sharply opposed those who interpreted these concepts one-sidedly. In 1871, Verdi wrote: “You cannot be only a melodist in music! There is something more than melody, than harmony - in fact, - music itself!..” Or in a letter from 1882: “Melody, harmony, recitation, passionate singing, orchestral effects and colors are nothing more than means. Make good music using these means!..” In the heat of controversy, Verdi even expressed judgments that sounded paradoxical in his mouth: “Melodies are not made from scales, trills or gruppettos... There are, for example, melodies in the choir of bards (from Bellini’s Norma.- M.D.), the prayer of Moses (from opera of the same name Rossini.- M.D.) etc., but they are not in the cavatina of “The Barber of Seville”, “The Thieving Magpie”, “Semiramis”, etc. - What is this? “Whatever you want, just not melodies” (from a letter of 1875.)

What caused such a sharp attack against Rossini's opera melodies from such a consistent supporter and convinced promoter of the national musical traditions of Italy as Verdi? Other tasks that were put forward by the new content of his operas. In singing he wanted to hear “a combination of the old with the new declamation,” and in opera - a deep and multifaceted revelation individual traits specific images and dramatic situations. This is what he strived for when updating the intonation structure of Italian music.

But in the approach of Wagner and Verdi to the problems of operatic dramaturgy, in addition to national differences, was also affected by other style direction of artistic quest. Having started as a romantic, Verdi emerged as the greatest master of realistic opera, while Wagner was and remained a romantic, although in his works of different creative periods there appeared more and more to a lesser extent features of realism. This ultimately determines the difference in the ideas, themes, and images that excited them, which forced Verdi to contrast Wagner’s “ musical drama "your understanding" musical stage drama».

Not all contemporaries understood the greatness of Verdi's creative deeds. However, it would be wrong to assume that the majority of musicians in Italy in the second half of the 19th century were under the influence of Wagner. Verdi had his supporters and allies in the struggle for national operatic ideals. His senior contemporary Saverio Mercadante still continued to work, and as a follower of Verdi, Amilcare Ponchielli (1834-1886, best opera “La Gioconda” - 1874; he was Puccini’s teacher) achieved significant success. A brilliant galaxy of singers improved themselves by performing the works of Verdi: Francesco Tamagno (1851 - 1905), Mattia Battistini (1856-1928), Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) and others. The outstanding conductor Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957) was brought up on these works. Finally, in the 90s a number of young Italian composers emerged, using Verdi's traditions in their own way. These are Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945, opera “Honor Rusticana” - 1890), Ruggero Leoncavallo (1858-1919, opera “Pagliacci” - 1892) and the most talented of them - Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924; first significant success - opera “Manon”, 1893; best works: “La Boheme” - 1896, “Tosca” - 1900, “Cio-Cio-San” - 1904). (They are joined by Umberto Giordano, Alfredo Catalani, Francesco Cilea and others.)

The work of these composers is characterized by an appeal to a modern theme, which distinguishes them from Verdi, who, after La Traviata, did not directly embody modern themes.

The basis for the artistic quest of young musicians was the literary movement of the 80s, led by the writer Giovanni Varga and called “verismo” (verismo means “truth”, “truthfulness”, “authenticity” in Italian). In their works, verists mainly depicted life the impoverished peasantry (especially in the south of Italy) and the urban poor, that is, the disadvantaged social lower classes, crushed by the progressive development of capitalism. In the merciless denunciation of the negative aspects of bourgeois society, the progressive significance of the creativity of the faithists was revealed. But the predilection for “bloody” plots, the transfer of emphatically sensual moments, the exposure of the physiological, bestial qualities of a person led to naturalism, to an impoverished image of reality.

To a certain extent, this contradiction is also characteristic of verist composers. Verdi could not sympathize with the manifestations of naturalism in their operas. Back in 1876, he wrote: “It’s not bad to imitate reality, but it’s even better to create reality... By copying it, you can only make a photograph, not a painting.” But Verdi could not help but welcome the desire of young authors to remain faithful to the precepts of the Italian opera school. The new content to which they turned required different means of expression and principles of dramaturgy - more dynamic, highly dramatic, nervously excited, impetuous.

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was born on October 10, 1813 in Roncola, a village in the province of Parma, then part of the Napoleonic Empire. His father kept wine Vault and grocery trade. In 1823, Giuseppe, who received basic knowledge from the village priest, was sent to school in the neighboring town of Busseto. He has already shown musical abilities and at the age of 11 he began performing the duties of organist in Roncola. The boy was noticed by the rich merchant A. Barezzi from Busseto, who supplied Verdi’s father’s shop and had a keen interest in music. To this man Verdi owed his musical education. Barezzi took the boy into his house and hired him the best teacher and paid for his further studies in Milan.

In 1832, Verdi was not accepted into the Milan Conservatory because he was over the legal age. He began studying privately with V. Lavigna, who taught him the basics of compositional technique. Verdi learned orchestration and operatic writing in practice by visiting Milan opera houses. The Philharmonic Society commissioned him for the opera Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio, which, however, was not staged at that time.

Verdi returned to Busseto, hoping to take the position of church organist, but as a result of internal church intrigues he was refused. The local musical society awarded him a three-year scholarship (300 liras); During this time, he composed a number of marches and an overture (sinfonie) for the city brass band, and also wrote church music. In 1836, Verdi married the daughter of his benefactor, Margherita Barezzi. He again went to Milan, where on November 17, 1839 Oberto was performed at La Scala with sufficient success to secure a new order, this time comic opera. The comic opera A King for a Day (Un giorno di regno) was a failure, mercilessly booed by the public. Verdi, shocked by the failure of the opera, vowed that he would not compose any more operas and asked the director of La Scala to break the contract concluded with him. (Only many years later did Verdi forgive the Milanese.) But director Merelli believed in the composer’s talent and, allowing him to come to his senses, handed him the libretto to Nabucco based on the biblical story of King Nebuchadnezzar. While reading, Verdi's attention was drawn to the chorus of Jews in Babylonian captivity, and his imagination began to work. The successful premiere of Nabucco (1842) restored the composer's reputation.

Nabucco was followed by I Lombardi (1843), an opera that also gave vent to oppressed patriotic feelings, and then Ernani (1844) based on the romantic drama by V. Hugo - a work thanks to which Verdi’s fame went beyond the borders of Italy. In subsequent years, the composer, in his own words, worked like a convict. Opera followed opera - Two Foscari (I due Foscari, 1844), Joan of Arc (Giovanna d'Arco, 1845), Alzira (Alzira, 1845), Attila (Attila, 1846), Robbers (I masnadieri, 1847), Corsair (Il corsaro, 1848), Battle of Legnano (La battaglia di Legnano, 1849), Stiffelio (1850). In these works, superficial and sometimes lightweight craft music is attached to weak librettos. Among the operas of this period, Macbeth (1847) stands out - the first fruit of the composer's enthusiastic veneration of Shakespeare, as well as Luisa Miller (1849) - an outstanding work of a more chamber style.

From 1847 to 1849, Verdi was mainly in Paris, where he made a new, French edition of the Lombards, called Jerusalem. Here the composer met Giuseppina Strepponi, a singer who took part in the Milan productions of Nabucco and the Lombards and who had already become close to Verdi. They finally got married ten years later.

The period 1851–1853 includes three mature masterpieces by Verdi - Rigoletto (1851), Trovatore (Il trovatore, 1853) and La traviata (1853). Each of them reflects a special side of the composer’s talent. Rigoletto based on the play by V. Hugo The King Amuses himself demonstrates, in addition to the ability to create lively, exciting melodies, an operatic form that is new for the composer - more coherent, with less contrasts between the recitative, which takes on the character of a melodious arioso, and the aria, which does not entirely obey established patterns. The development of the action is facilitated by free-form duets and other ensembles, including the famous quartet in the last act - an outstanding example of Verdi's ability to reflect in ensemble form the conflict of characters and feelings of his characters.

Troubadour, based on a Spanish romantic melodrama, contains fine examples of strong, heroic music, while La Traviata family drama» Dumas the son of the Lady with Camellias captivates with the pathos of feelings.

The success of these three operas opened up new possibilities for Verdi. In 1855 he was commissioned to write a composition for the Paris Opera in the characteristic Meyerbeer style - The Sicilian Vespers (Les vpres siciliennes). For the same theater he made new edition Macbeth (1865), and also composed Don Carlos (1867); for the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater he created The Force of Destiny (La forza del destino, 1862). In parallel with the implementation of these grandiose projects, Verdi worked on more modest operas in the Italian style - Simon Boccanegra (Simon Boccanegra, 1857) and Un ballo in maschera (1859). All these works are romantic melodramas based on more or less reliable historical events. Although none of these operas are particularly dramatic from a dramatic point of view (this is hampered by Verdi's tendency to jump without sufficient reason from one spectacular plot situation to another), they all demonstrate growing skill musical characteristics and orchestral dramaturgy (this is especially noticeable in Simone Boccanegra and Don Carlos).

Verdi clearly needed a literary collaborator and he found one in the person of A. Ghislanzoni, in collaboration with whom the libretto of Aida (Aida, 1871) was born - a masterpiece in the style of the French " grand opera", commissioned by the Egyptian government for the composer to perform at the opening of the Suez Canal. It turned out to be even more fruitful collaboration Verdi in his later years with Arrigo Boito (1842–1918), author of the opera Mephistopheles and eminent poet. Boito first revised the unsatisfactory libretto by Simon Boccanegra (1881). He then turned Shakespeare's tragedy Othello into a libretto; this masterpiece by Verdi was staged at La Scala in 1887, when the composer was already 74 years old. Othello was followed in 1893 by Falstaff: at 80, Verdi wrote a musical comedy that rewarded him for the failure of his first musical comedy King for an hour. Othello and Falstaff crowned Verdi's desire to create a real musical drama.

In addition to operas, Verdi's legacy includes the Requiem in Memory of A. Manzoni (1874), Stabat Mater (1898) and Te Deum (1898), as well as choral works, romances and a string quartet in E minor (1873).

Giuseppe Verdi, whose biography is presented in the article, is a famous Italian composer. The years of his life are 1813-1901. Giuseppe Verdi created many immortal works. The biography of this composer is certainly worthy of attention.

His work is considered the highest point in the development of 19th century music in his native country. Verdi's activity as a composer spanned more than half a century. She was mainly associated with the opera genre. Verdi created the first of them when he was 26 years old (Oberto, Count di San Bonifacio), and he wrote the last one at 80 years old (Falstaff). The author of 32 operas (including new editions of works written earlier) is Giuseppe Verdi. His biography still arouses great interest, and Verdi’s works are still included in the main repertoire of theaters around the world in our time.

Origin, childhood

Giuseppe was born in Roncola. This village was located in the province of Parma, which at that time was part of the Napoleonic Empire. The photo below shows the house in which the composer was born and spent his childhood. It is known that his father ran a grocery business and maintained a wine cellar.

Giuseppe received his first lessons in Verdi's music from the local church organist. His biography is marked first important event in 1823. It was then that the future composer was sent to Busseto, a neighboring town, where he continued his studies at school. At the age of 11, Giuseppe began to show pronounced musical abilities. The boy began to perform the duties of organist in Ronkola.

Giuseppe was noticed by A. Barezzi, a wealthy merchant from Busseto, who supplied the shop of the boy's father and had a great interest in music. The future composer owes the musical education he received to this man. Barezzi took him into his house, hired the boy the best teacher and began to pay for his education in Milan.

Giuseppe becomes a conductor, studying with V. Lavigny

At the age of 15 he was already the conductor of Giuseppe Verdi's small orchestra. short biography it continues with the arrival in Milan. He went here with money raised by his father’s friends. Giuseppe's goal was to enter the conservatory. However, he was not accepted into this educational institution due to lack of ability. Nevertheless, V. Lavigna, a Milanese conductor and composer, appreciated Giuseppe’s talent. He started teaching him compositions for free. Giuseppe Verdi learned operatic writing and orchestration in practice in the opera houses of Milan. His short biography is marked by the appearance of his first works a few years later.

First works

Verdi lived in Busseto from 1835 to 1838 and worked as a conductor in the municipal orchestra. Giuseppe created his first opera in 1837, entitled Oberto, Count di San Bonifacio. This work was staged 2 years later in Milan. It was a great success. By order of La Scala, the famous Milan theater, Verdi wrote a comic opera. He called it "Imaginary Stanislav, or one day of reign." It was staged in 1840 ("The King for an Hour"). Another work, the opera "Nabucco", was presented to the public in 1842 ("Nebuchadnezzar"). In it, the composer reflected the aspirations and feelings of the Italian people, who in those years began the struggle for independence, for deliverance from the Austrian yoke. The audience saw in the suffering of the Jewish people who found themselves in captivity an analogy with contemporary Italy. The choir of captive Jews from this work caused active political demonstrations. Giuseppe's next opera, Lombards on Crusade, also echoed calls for the overthrow of tyranny. It was staged in Milan in 1843. And in Paris in 1847, the second edition of this opera with ballet (“Jerusalem”) was presented to the public.

Life in Paris, marriage to G. Strepponi

In the period from 1847 to 1849 he was mainly in the French capital Giuseppe Verdi. His biography and work at this time were marked by important events. It was in the French capital that he made a new edition of “The Lombards” (“Jerusalem”). In addition, in Paris, Verdi met his friend, Giuseppina Strepponi (her portrait is presented above). This singer took part in productions of “Lombards” and “Nabucco” in Milan and already in those years became close to the composer. They eventually got married 10 years later.

Characteristics of Verdi's early work

Almost all of Giuseppe’s works from the first period of his creative work are permeated through and through with patriotic sentiments and heroic pathos. They are associated with the fight against oppressors. This is, for example, “Ernani”, written after Hugo (the first production took place in Venice in 1844). Verdi based his work “The Two Foscari” on Byron (the premiere took place in Rome in 1844). He was also interested in Schiller's work. " Maid of Orleans"was presented in Milan in 1845. In the same year, the premiere of "Alzira" based on Voltaire took place in Naples. "Macbeth" based on Shakespeare was staged in Florence in 1847. The greatest success of the works of this time were the operas "Macbeth" and "Attila" " and "Ernani". Stage situations from these works reminded the audience of the situation in their country.

Response to the French Revolution by Giuseppe Verdi

The biography, summary of the works and testimonies of the composer’s contemporaries indicate that Verdi warmly responded to French revolution 1848. He witnessed her in Paris. Returning to Italy, Verdi composed The Battle of Legnano. This heroic opera was staged in Rome in 1849. Its second edition dates back to 1861 and was presented in Milan (“The Siege of Harlem”). This work describes how the Lombards fought to unify the country. Mazzini, an Italian revolutionary, commissioned Giuseppe to write a revolutionary anthem. This is how the work “The Trumpet Sounds” appeared.

1850s in the work of Verdi

The 1850s is a new period in the work of Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi. His biography was marked by the creation of operas that reflect the experiences and feelings of ordinary people. The struggle of freedom-loving individuals against bourgeois society or feudal oppression became the central theme of the composer’s work of this time. It can be heard already in the first operas belonging to this period. In 1849, "Louise Miller" was presented to the public in Naples. This work is based on the drama “Cunning and Love” by Schiller. In 1850, Stiffelio was staged in Trieste.

The theme of social inequality was developed with even greater force in such immortal works as Rigoletto (1851), Il Trovatore (1853) and La Traviata (1853). The character of the music in these operas is truly folk. They revealed the composer's gift as a playwright and melodist, reflecting the truth of life in his works.

Development of the "grand opera" genre

The following creations of Verdi adjoin the genre of “grand opera”. These are such historical and romantic works as “Sicilian Vespers” (staged in Paris in 1855), “Un ballo in maschera” (premiered in Rome in 1859), “Force of Destiny”, written by order of the Mariinsky Theater. By the way, in connection with the production of his last opera, Verdi visited St. Petersburg twice in 1862. The photo below shows his portrait taken in Russia.

In 1867, Don Carlos appeared, written after Schiller. In these operas, Giuseppe's themes of fighting oppressors and inequality, which were near and dear to his heart, are embodied in performances that are replete with contrasting, effective scenes.

Opera "Aida"

With the opera "Aida" a new period of Verdi's work begins. It was commissioned by the Egyptian khedive to the composer in connection with an important event - the opening of the Suez Canal. A. Mariette Bey, a famous Egyptologist, offered the author an interesting story that depicts the life of Ancient Egypt. Verdi became interested in this idea. Librettist Ghislanzoni worked on the libretto with Verdi. Aida premiered in Cairo in 1871. The success was huge.

The composer's later work

After this, Giuseppe did not create new operas for 14 years. He was reviewing his old works. For example, in Milan in 1881 the premiere of the second edition of the opera Simon Boccanegra, written in 1857 by Giuseppe Verdi, took place. They said about the composer that due to his advanced age, he could no longer create something new. However, he soon surprised the audience. 72-year-old Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi said he was working on creating new opera"Othello". It was staged in Milan in 1887, and with the ballet in Paris in 1894. A few years later, 80-year-old Giuseppe attended the premiere of a new work, also based on Shakespeare's work. We are talking about the production of Falstaff in Milan in 1893. Giuseppe found a wonderful librettist, Boito, for Shakespeare's operas. In the photo below are Boito (left) and Verdi.

Giuseppe in his last three operas sought to expand forms, to merge dramatic action and music. He gave recitative a new meaning and strengthened the role played by the orchestra in revealing the images.

Verdi's own path in music

As for Giuseppe's other works, Requiem stands out among them. It is dedicated to the memory of A. Manzoni, a famous poet. Giuseppe's work is distinguished by its realistic character. It is not for nothing that the composer was called the chronicler of the musical life of Europe in 1840-1890. Verdi followed the achievements of contemporary composers - Donizetti, Bellini, Wagner, Meyerbeer, Gounod. However, Giuseppe Verdi did not imitate them. His biography is marked by the creation independent works already in the early period of creativity. The composer decided to go his own way and was not mistaken. Verdi's intelligible, bright, melodically rich music has become very popular all over the world. Democracy and realism of creativity, humanism and humanity, connection with folk art native country - these are the main reasons why Verdi gained great fame.

On January 27, 1901, Giuseppe Verdi died in Milan. His brief biography and work are still of interest to music lovers from all over the world.

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi(Italian: Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi, October 10, 1813, in the Italian village of Le Roncole, located in the northern part of Lombardy, on a lower tributary of the Po River, near the city of Busseto, French Empire - January 27, 1901, Milan, Italy) - Italian composer , whose work is one of the greatest achievements of world opera and the culmination of the development of Italian opera of the 19th century.

The composer created 26 operas and one requiem. The composer's best operas: Un ballo in maschera, Rigoletto, Trovatore, La Traviata. The pinnacle of creativity is the latest operas: “Aida”, “Othello”, “Falstaff”.

Early period

Verdi was born into the family of Carlo Giuseppe Verdi and Luigi Uttini in Le Roncole, a village near Busseto in the department of Tarot, which at that time was part of the First French Empire after the annexation of the principalities of Parma and Piacenza. Thus, the future great Italian composer was officially born in France.

Verdi was born in 1813 (the same year as Richard Wagner, in the future his main rival and leading composer of the German opera school) in Le Roncole, near Busseto (Duchy of Parma). The composer's father, Carlo Verdi, ran a village tavern, and his mother, Luigia Uttini, was a spinner. The family lived poorly, and Giuseppe's childhood was difficult. He helped celebrate mass in the village church. He studied musical literacy and playing the organ with Pietro Baistrocchi. Noticing their son's passion for music, his parents gave Giuseppe a spinet. The composer kept this very imperfect instrument until the end of his life.

The musically gifted boy was noticed by Antonio Barezzi, a wealthy merchant and music lover from the neighboring town of Busseto. He believed that Verdi would become not an innkeeper or a village organist, but a great composer. On the advice of Barezzi, ten-year-old Verdi moved to Busseto to study. Thus began a new, even more difficult period of life - the years of adolescence and youth. By Sundays Giuseppe went to Le Roncole, where he played the organ during mass. Verdi also got a composition teacher - Fernando Provesi, director of the Philharmonic Society of Busseto. Provesi was not only engaged in counterpoint, he awakened in Verdi a craving for serious reading. Giuseppe's attention is attracted by the classics of world literature - Shakespeare, Dante, Goethe, Schiller. One of his most beloved works is the novel “The Betrothed” by the great Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni.

In Milan, where Verdi went at the age of eighteen to continue his education, he was not accepted into the Conservatory (today named after Verdi) “because low level piano playing; In addition, there were age restrictions at the conservatory.” Verdi began taking private counterpoint lessons, while attending opera performances, as well as just concerts. Communication with the Milanese elite convinced him to seriously think about a career as a theater composer.

Returning to Busseto, with the support of Antonio Barezzi (Antonio Barezzi - a local merchant and music lover who supported Verdi's musical ambitions), Verdi gave his first public performance at the Barezzi house in 1830.

Fascinated by Verdi's musical gift, Barezzi invites him to become a music teacher for his daughter Margherita. Soon the young people fell deeply in love with each other and on May 4, 1836, Verdi married Margherita Barezzi. Margherita soon gave birth to two children: Virginia Maria Louise (March 26, 1837 - August 12, 1838) and Icilio Romano (July 11, 1838 - October 22, 1839). While Verdi was working on his first opera, both children died in infancy. Some time later (June 18, 1840), at the age of 26, the composer’s wife Margarita died of encephalitis.

Initial recognition

First production of Verdi's opera (Oberto, Count Bonifacio) ( Oberto) at La Scala in Milan was acclaimed by critics, after which the theater impresario, Bartolomeo Merelli, offered Verdi a contract to write two operas. They became “King for an Hour” ( Un giorno di regno) and "Nabucco" ("Nebuchadnezzar"). Verdi's wife and two children died while he was working on the first of these two operas. After its failure, the composer wanted to stop writing opera music. However, the premiere of Nabucco on March 9, 1842 at La Scala was a great success and established Verdi's reputation as an opera composer. Over the next year, the opera was staged 65 times in Europe and has since occupied a strong place in the repertoire of the world's leading opera houses. Nabucco was followed by several operas, including Lombards on a Crusade ( I Lombardi alla prima crociata) and "Ernani" ( Ernani), which were staged and were successful in Italy.

In 1847, the opera "The Lombards", rewritten and renamed "Jerusalem" ( Jerusalem), was staged by the Paris Opera on November 26, 1847, becoming Verdi's first work in the style grand opera. To do this, the composer had to rework this opera somewhat and replace the Italian characters with French ones.

Master

At the age of thirty-eight, Verdi began an affair with Giuseppina Strepponi, a soprano singer who was by then finishing her career (they married only eleven years later, and their cohabitation before the wedding was considered scandalous in many of the places where they lived) . Soon Giuseppina stopped performing, and Verdi, following the example of Gioachino Rossini, decided to end his career with his wife. He was wealthy, famous and in love. It may have been Giuseppina who convinced him to continue writing operas. The first opera written by Verdi after his “retirement” became his first masterpiece - “Rigoletto”. The libretto of the opera, based on Victor Hugo's play The King Amuses himself, underwent significant changes to please censors, and the composer intended to quit work several times until the opera was finally completed. The first production took place in Venice in 1851 and was a great success.

Rigoletto is perhaps one of the best operas in the history of musical theater. Verdi's artistic generosity is represented in it in full force. Wonderful melodies scattered throughout the score, arias and ensembles that have become an integral part of the classical operatic repertoire follow each other, and the comic and tragic merge together.

La Traviata, Verdi's next great opera, was composed and staged two years after Rigoletto. The libretto is based on the play “The Lady of the Camellias” by Alexandre Dumas.

Several more operas followed, among them the constantly performed “Sicilian Supper” ( Les vêpres siciliennes; written at the request of the Paris Opera), Il Trovatore ( Il Trovatore), "Masquerade Ball" ( Un ballo in maschera), "Force of Destiny" ( La forza del destino; 1862, written by order of the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theater of St. Petersburg), the second edition of the opera “Macbeth” ( Macbeth).

In 1869, Verdi composed "Libera Me" for the Requiem in memory of Gioachino Rossini (the remaining parts were written by now little-known Italian composers). In 1874, Verdi wrote his Requiem for the death of his revered writer Alessandro Manzoni, including a revised version of his previously written "Libera Me".

One of Verdi's last great operas, Aida, was commissioned by the Egyptian government to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal. At first Verdi refused. While in Paris, he received a second offer through du Locle. This time Verdi met the opera script, which he liked, and agreed to write the opera.

Verdi and Wagner, each the leader of his own national opera school, always disliked each other. In their entire lives they had never met. Verdi's surviving comments about Wagner and his music are few and unkind (“He always chooses, in vain, the less traveled path, trying to fly where normal person he will simply walk, achieving much better results"). Nevertheless, upon learning that Wagner had died, Verdi said: “How sad! This name has left a huge mark on the history of art.” Only one statement by Wagner is known relating to the music of Verdi. After listening to the Requiem, the great German, always eloquent, always generous with (unflattering) comments in relation to many other composers, said: “It’s better not to say anything.”

Aida was staged in Cairo in 1871 with great success.

Last years and death

Over the next twelve years, Verdi worked very little, slowly editing some of his earlier works.

Opera "Othello" ( Othello), based on the play by William Shakespeare, was staged in Milan in 1887. The music of this opera is “continuous”; it does not contain the traditional Italian opera division into arias and recitatives - this innovation was introduced under the influence of opera reform Richard Wagner (after the latter's death). In addition, under the influence of the same Wagnerian reform, the style of the late Verdi acquired a greater degree of recitativeness, which gave the opera the effect of greater realism, although it scared off some fans of traditional Italian opera.

Verdi's last opera, Falstaff ( Falstaff), the libretto of which Arrigo Boito, librettist and composer, wrote based on Shakespeare's play The Merry Wives of Windsor ( Merry Wives of Windsor) in its translation into French by Victor Hugo, developed the manner of “end-to-end development”. The brilliantly written score of this comedy is thus much closer to Wagner's Die Meistersinger than to the comic operas of Rossini and Mozart. The elusiveness and effervescence of the melodies makes it possible not to delay the development of the plot and creates a unique effect of confusion, so close to the spirit of this Shakespearean comedy. The opera ends with a seven-voice fugue, in which Verdi fully demonstrates his brilliant mastery of counterpoint.

On January 21, 1901, while staying at the Grand Et De Milan Hotel (Milan, Italy), Verdi suffered a stroke. Being stricken with paralysis, he could read with his inner ear the scores of the operas “La Bohème” and “Tosca” by Puccini, “Pagliacci” by Leoncavallo, “The Queen of Spades” by Tchaikovsky, but what he thought about these operas written by his immediate and worthy heirs remained unknown . Verdi grew weaker every day and six days later, early in the morning of January 27, 1901, he died.

Verdi was originally buried in the Monumental Cemetery in Milan. A month later, his body was transferred to Casa Di Riposo in Musicisti, also in Milan, a rest home for retired musicians that Verdi had created.

He was an agnostic. His second wife, Giuseppina Strepponi, described him as "a man of little faith."

Style

Verdi's predecessors who influenced his work were Rossini, Bellini, Meyerbeer and, most importantly, Donizetti. In two latest operas, Othello and Falstaff, the influence of Richard Wagner is noticeable. Respecting Gounod, whom his contemporaries considered the greatest composer of the era, Verdi nevertheless did not borrow anything from the great Frenchman. Some passages in Aida indicate the composer's familiarity with the works of Mikhail Glinka, whom Franz Liszt popularized in Western Europe after returning from a tour of Russia.

Throughout his career, Verdi refused to use high C in tenor parts, citing the fact that the opportunity to sing that particular note in front of a full audience distracted performers before, after, and while singing the note.

Although Verdi's orchestration is at times masterful, the composer relied mainly on his melodic gifts to express the emotions of the characters and the drama of the action. Indeed, very often in Verdi's operas, especially during solo vocal numbers, the harmony is deliberately ascetic, and the entire orchestra sounds like one accompanying instrument (Verdi is credited with the words: “The orchestra is a big guitar!” Some critics argue that Verdi paid attention to technical aspect of the score is not given enough attention because it lacks school and refinement. Verdi himself once said, “Of all composers, I am the least knowledgeable.” But he hastened to add, “I say this seriously, but by “knowledge” I do not mean knowledge of music at all "

However, it would be incorrect to say that Verdi underestimated the expressive power of the orchestra and did not know how to use it to the fullest when he needed it. Moreover, orchestral and contrapuntal innovation (for example, the strings soaring across the chromatic scale in the Monterone scene in Rigoletto, in order to emphasize the drama of the situation, or, also in Rigoletto, the chorus humming close notes offstage, depicting, quite effectively, the approaching storm) is characteristic of Verdi's work - so characteristic that other composers did not dare to borrow some of his bold techniques because of their instant recognition.

Verdi was the first composer to specifically search for a plot for a libretto that would best suit the characteristics of his talent as a composer. Working closely with librettists and knowing that dramatic expression is what main force his talent, he sought to eliminate “unnecessary” details and “superfluous” heroes from the plot, leaving only characters in which passions boil and scenes rich in drama.

Operas by Giuseppe Verdi

Vanity Fair, 1879

Oberto, Count of San Bonifacio - 1839
King for an Hour (Un Giorno di Regno) - 1840
Nabucco, or Nebuchadnezzar (Nabucco) - 1842
Lombards in the First Crusade (I Lombardi") - 1843
Ernani- 1844. Based on the play of the same name by Victor Hugo
Two Foscari (I due Foscari)- 1844. Based on the play by Lord Byron
Joan of Arc (Giovanna d'Arco)- 1845. Based on the play “The Maid of Orleans” by Schiller
Alzira- 1845. Based on Voltaire’s play of the same name
Attila- 1846. Based on the play “Attila, Leader of the Huns” by Zacharius Werner
Macbeth- 1847. Based on Shakespeare's play of the same name
Robbers (I masnadieri)- 1847. Based on the play of the same name by Schiller
Jerusalem- 1847 (Version Lombards)
Corsair- 1848. By poem of the same name Lord Byron
Battle of Legnano (La battaglia di Legnano)- 1849. Based on the play “The Battle of Toulouse” by Joseph Mery
Louisa Miller- 1849. Based on the play “Cunning and Love” by Schiller
Stiffelio- 1850. Based on the play “The Holy Father, or the Gospel and the Heart,” by Emile Souvestre and Eugene Bourgeois.
Rigoletto- 1851. Based on the play “The King Amuses himself” by Victor Hugo
The Troubadour (Il Trovatore)- 1853. Based on the play of the same name by Antonio Garcia Gutierrez
La Traviata- 1853. Based on the play “Lady with Camellias” by A. Dumas the son
Sicilian Vespers (Les vêpres siciliennes)- 1855. Based on the play “The Duke of Alba” by Eugene Scribe and Charles Devereux
Giovanna de Guzman(Version of "Sicilian Vespers").
Simon Boccanegra- 1857. Based on the play of the same name by Antonio Garcia Gutierrez.
Aroldo- 1857 (Version "Stiffelio")
Masquerade ball (Un ballo in maschera)- 1859. Based on the real murder of Gustav III, which formed the basis of the play by Eugene Scribe
The Power of Destiny (La forza del destino)- 1862. Based on the play “Don Alvaro, or the Force of Destiny” by Angel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas. The premiere took place at the Bolshoi (Kamenny) Theater in St. Petersburg
Macbeth ( Macbeth) - 1865. Second edition of the opera commissioned by the Parisian Grand Opera
Don Carlos- 1867. Based on the play of the same name by Schiller
Aida- 1871. The premiere took place in Opera House Khedive in Cairo, Egypt
Othello- 1887. Based on Shakespeare's play of the same name
Falstaff- 1893. Based on “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and two parts of “Henry IV” by Shakespeare

Other writings

String quartet e-moll - 1873
Requiem (Messa da Requiem) - 1874
Four Sacred Pieces (Quattro Pezzi Sacri) - 1892

Literature

Bushen A., The Birth of Opera. (Young Verdi). Roman, M., 1958.
Gal G. Brahms. Wagner. Verdi. Three masters - three worlds. M., 1986.
Ordzhonikidze G. Verdi's operas based on Shakespeare's plots, M., 1967.
Solovtsova L. A. J. Verdi. M., Giuseppe Verdi. Life and creative path, M. 1986.
Tarozzi Giuseppe Verdi. M., 1984.
Ese Laszlo. If Verdi kept a diary... - Budapest, 1966.

Films and TV series about the life and work of the composer

“Giuseppe Verdi” (in Russian known as “The Story of a Life”; 1938, Italy). Directed by Carmine Gallone. Starring Fosco Giachetti.
"Giuseppe Verdi" (1953, Italy). Director: Raffaello Matarazzo. Starring Pierre Cressois.
“The Life of Giuseppe Verdi (Verdi)” (1982, Italy - France - Germany - Great Britain - Sweden). Director: Renato Castellani. Starring Ronald Pickup.

Memory

In philately

USSR postage stamp dedicated to Verdi, 1963, 4 kopecks (TsFA 2879, Scott 2745A)

A crater on Mercury is named after Giuseppe Verdi.
The feature film "The Twentieth Century" (dir. Bernardo Bertolucci) begins on the day of the death of Giuseppe Verdi, when the two main characters are born.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), Italian composer.

Born on October 10, 1813 in Roncola (province of Parma) in the family of a village innkeeper. He took his first music lessons from the local church organist. Then he studied at music school in Busseto with F. Provesi. He was not admitted to the Milan Conservatory, but remained in Milan and studied privately with the conservatory professor V. Lavigny.

As a composer, Verdi was most attracted to opera. He created 26 works in this genre. The opera “Nebuchadnezzar” (1841) brought fame and glory to the author: written in biblical story, it is imbued with ideas related to Italy's struggle for independence. The same theme of the heroic liberation movement is heard in the operas “The Lombards in the First Crusade” (1842), “Joan of Arc” (1845), “Attila” (1846), “The Battle of Legnano” ( 1849). Verdi became in Italy national hero. In search of new plots, he turned to the works of great playwrights: based on the play by V. Hugo he wrote the opera “Hernani” (1844), based on the tragedy of W. Shakespeare - “Macbeth” (1847), based on the drama “Cunning and Love” by F. Schiller - “Louise Miller” (1849).

The composer was attracted by strong human emotions and characters, which found such complete correspondence with his music. Verdiliric is no less great. This gift was manifested in the operas “Rigoletto” (based on Hugo’s drama “The King Amuses himself”, 1851) and “La Traviata” (based on the drama “Lady of the Camellias” by A. Dumas, son, 1853).

In 1861, at the request of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Verdi wrote the opera “Force of Destiny.” In connection with its production, the composer visited Russia twice, meeting with a warm reception. For the Paris Opera, Verdi composed the opera “Don Carlos” (1867), and specially commissioned by the Egyptian government for the opening of the Suez Canal, the opera “Aida” (1870).

Perhaps the pinnacle of Verdi's operatic creativity was the opera Othello (1886). And in 1892, he turned to the genre of comic opera and wrote his last masterpiece - Falstaff, again based on the plot of Shakespeare.