The
Operas
of Verdi
BY JOHN FANCHER
Starting in the mid-19th century, Giuseppe Verdi became the
leading composer of Italian opera, following the dominance of such
composers as Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini. Born in 1813 in a small
village near Busseto, the northern Italian province, Verdi was the
first child of his family and was born in their home. • Verdi’s gift
of musical talent was apparent to his family and educators right
away and by the time he was eight years old Verdi was already an
appointed organist for pay after his earliest musical teacher passed
on. He continued his musical education at the age of twelve when
he studied at the music school associated with the Philharmonic
Society. • Penning his first operas in the mid 1800’s, Giuseppe Verdi
would go on to create some of the most well-known operatic pieces
in the genre. In this piece we would like to highlight a few for you.
LA TRAVIATA
Meaning The Fallen Woman, this three-act
opera inspired by the Alexandre Dumas novel
La Dame aux Camélias inadvertently through a
play adapted from the story and was originally
titled after the primary character, Violetta.
Premiering at the La Fenice opera house in
Venice on March 6, 1853 La Traviata staging
was set in the past despite Verdi’s wishes
and those of his librettist Francesco Maria
Piave. The duo intended this opera to have a
contemporary setting. It wasn’t produced in
this way until nearly thirty years later.
The inspiration for La Traviata came to Verdi
when he was spending time in Paris with his
second wife Giuseppina Strepponi and went
to see a play based on the Dumas novel.
Historians say Giuseppe Verdi immediately
began writing music that would later turn up in
the first produced version of La Traviata.
Verdi and his librettist worked diligently to
create a great work and, from the response
opening night, they didn’t realize how
significant this opera would become. Not only
did they have multiple obstacles with the La
Fenice regarding who performed and what
time it was set in, the audience reception was
not great.
Photo by Werner Kmetitsch.
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