Giuseppe Verdi biography. The operatic work of Giuseppe Verdi: a general overview

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi(ital. Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi, October 10, Roncole, near the city of Busseto, Italy - January 27, Milan) - Italian composer, central figure of the Italian opera school. His best operas ( Rigoletto, Traviata, Aida), known for its richness of melodic expressiveness, are often performed in opera houses around the world. In the past, often disparaged by critics (for "indulging the tastes of ordinary people", "simplified polyphony" and "shameless melodramatization"), Verdi's masterpieces form the basis of the ordinary operatic repertoire a century and a half after they were written.

Early period

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; written by order of the Imperial Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg), the second edition of Macbeth ( Macbeth).

Operas by Giuseppe Verdi

• 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. Based on the poem of the same name by 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 García 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.
• 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, adapted for the stage by Schiller under the title “Wallenstein”. The premiere took place at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg
• 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” by Shakespeare

Musical fragments

Attention! Music fragments in Ogg Vorbis format

• “The heart of a beauty is prone to betrayal”, from the opera “Rigoletto”(info)

Notes

Links

• Giuseppe Verdi: Sheet music of works at the International Music Score Library Project

Operas Giuseppe Verdi

Oberto (1839) King for an Hour (1840) Nabucco (1842) Lombards in the First Crusade (1843) Ernani (1844) The Two Foscari (1844)

Joan of Arc (1845) Alzira (1845) Atilla (1846) Macbeth (1847) The Robbers (1847) Jerusalem (1847) Corsair (1848) Battle of Legnano (1849)

Louise Miller (1849) Stifellio (1850) Rigoletto (1851) Troubadour (1853) La Traviata (1853) Sicilian Vespers (1855) Giovanna de Guzman (1855)

Biography, life story of Verdi Giuseppe

Childhood
Verdi was born in the remote Italian village of Le Roncole in northern Lombardy into a peasant family. Extraordinary musical talent and a passionate desire to make music appeared very early. Until the age of 10 he studied at native village, then in the town of Busseto. Meeting the merchant and music lover Barezzi helped him receive a city scholarship to continue music education in Milan.

Shock of the thirties
However, Verdi was not accepted into the conservatory. He studied music privately with the teacher Lavigna, thanks to whom he attended La Scala performances for free. In 1836 he married his beloved Margherita Barezzi, the daughter of his patron, from whose marriage he had a daughter and a son. A happy accident helped to receive an order for the opera “Lord Hamilton, or Rochester,” which was successfully staged in 1838 at La Scala under the title “Oberto, Count Bonifacio.” In the same year, 3 were published vocal compositions Verdi. But the first creative success coincided with a number of tragic events in personal life: in less than two years (1838-1840) his daughter, son and wife die. Verdi is left alone, and the comic opera “The King for an Hour, or the Imaginary Stanislav”, composed at this time by order, fails. Shocked by the tragedy, Verdi writes: “I... decided never to compose again.”

Way out of the crisis. First triumph
Verdi was brought out of a severe mental crisis by working on the opera “Nebuchadnezzar” (Italian title “Nabucco”).

CONTINUED BELOW

"Three stars". "Don Carlos"
In 1851, “Rigoletto” appeared (based on V. Hugo’s drama “The King Amuses himself”), and in 1853 “Il Trovatore” and “La Traviata” (based on A. Dumas’ play “The Lady of the Camellias”), which made up the composer’s famous “three stars.” In these works, Verdi moves away from heroic themes and images; ordinary people become his heroes: a jester, a gypsy, a woman of the demimonde. He strives not only to show feelings, but also to reveal the characters' personalities. The melodic language is marked by organic connections with Italian folk song.
In operas of the 1850-60s. Verdi turns to the historical-heroic genre. During this period, the operas “Sicilian Vespers” (staged in Paris in 1854), “Simon Boccanegra” (1875), “Un ballo in maschera” (1859), “Force of Destiny”, which was written by order, were created Mariinsky Theater; in connection with its production, Verdi visited Russia twice in 1861 and 1862. Don Carlos (1867) was commissioned by the Paris Opera.

New takeoff
In 1868, the Egyptian government approached the composer with a proposal to write an opera for the opening of a new theater in Cairo. Verdi refused. Negotiations lasted two years, and only the script of the Egyptologist Mariette Bey, based on an ancient Egyptian legend, changed the composer's decision. The opera "Aida" became one of his most innovative creations. It is marked by the brilliance of dramatic skill, melodic richness, and masterful command of the orchestra.
The death of the writer and Italian patriot Alessandro Manzoni prompted the creation of Requiem, a magnificent creation by the sixty-year-old maestro (1873-1874).
For eight years (1879-1887) the composer worked on the opera Othello. The premiere, which took place in February 1887, resulted in a national celebration. In the year of his eightieth birthday, Verdi created another brilliant creation - “Falstaff” (1893, based on W. Shakespeare’s play “The Merry Wives of Windsor”), in which he, based on the principles of musical drama, carried out a reform of Italian comic opera. “Falstaff” is distinguished by the novelty of dramaturgy, built on extensive scenes, melodic inventiveness, bold and refined harmonies.
In the last years of his life, Verdi wrote works for choir and orchestra, which in 1897 he combined into the cycle “Four Sacred Pieces.” In January 1901, he was struck by paralysis and a week later, on January 27, he died. The basis of Verdi's creative heritage was 26 operas, many of which were included in the world's musical treasury. He also wrote two choirs, a string quartet, and works of church and chamber vocal music. Since 1961, the vocal competition “Verdi Voices” has been held in Busseto.

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 a national hero in Italy. 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.

Giuseppe Verdi was born on October 10, 1813 in the village of Roncole, located near the town of Busseto and 25 kilometers from Parma. Verdi grew up in a poor family; his father traded wine in the town of La Renzola in northern Italy.

Antonio Barezzi played a big role in the fate of Giuseppe. He was a merchant, but music occupied a large place in his life.

Barezzi hired Verdi as a clerk and accountant for trade affairs. The clerical work was boring, but not onerous; But much of his time was consumed by musical work: Verdi diligently rewrote scores and parts, participated in rehearsals, and helped amateur musicians learn parts.

Among Busset musicians leading place occupied by Ferdinando Provesi - cathedral organist, conductor of the philharmonic orchestra, composer and theorist. He introduced Verdi to the basics of composition and conducting technique, enriched his musical theoretical knowledge, and helped him improve in playing the organ. Convinced of the young man’s great musical talent, he predicted a brilliant future for him.

Verdi's first compositional experiments date back to the time of his studies with Provezi. However, writing young musician was of an amateur nature and added almost nothing to his meager means of subsistence. It was time to enter a more spacious creative path, but for this there was still a lot to learn. This is how the idea of ​​entering the Milan Conservatory, one of the best in Italy, arose. The funds necessary for this were allocated by the Busset “cassa for the needy,” on which Barezzi insisted: Verdi received a scholarship of 600 lire for a trip to Milan and conservatory studies (for the first two years). This amount was somewhat replenished by Barezzi from personal funds.

In the late spring of 1832, Verdi arrived in Milan, The largest city northern Italy, capital of Lombardy. However, Verdi suffered bitter disappointment: he was flatly refused admission to the conservatory.

When the doors of the Milan Conservatory slammed shut on Verdi, his first concern was to find a knowledgeable and experienced teacher among the city musicians. From the people recommended to him, he chose the composer Vincenzo Lavigna. He willingly agreed to study with Verdi and the first thing he did for him was to provide him with the opportunity to attend La Scala performances for free.

Many performances took place with the participation of the country's best artistic forces. It is not difficult to imagine with what delight young Verdi listened famous singers and singers. He also attended other Milan theaters, as well as rehearsals and concerts of the Philharmonic Society.

One day the Society decided to perform the oratorio “The Creation of the World” by the great Austrian composer Joseph Haydn. But it so happened that not a single conductor showed up for the rehearsal, and all the performers were in place and expressed impatience. Then the head of the Society, P. Masini, turned to Verdi, who was in the hall, with a request to help him out of an awkward situation. What followed next is told by the composer himself in his autobiography.

“I quickly went to the piano and began rehearsing. I remember very well the ironic ridicule with which I was greeted... My young face, my skinny appearance, my poor clothes - all this inspired little respect. But be that as it may, the rehearsal continued, and I myself gradually became inspired. I was no longer limited to accompanying, but began right hand conduct by playing left. When the rehearsal was over, I was complimented from all sides... As a result of this incident, conducting the Haydn concert was entrusted to me. The first public performance was such a success that it was immediately necessary to organize a repetition in great hall noble club, which was attended by... the entire high society of Milan.”

This is how Verdi was first noticed in musical Milan. One count even ordered him a cantata for his family celebration. Verdi fulfilled the order, but “His Excellency” did not reward the composer with a single lyre.

But then the long-awaited and joyful moment came in the life of the young composer: he received an order for an opera - his first opera! This order was made by Masini, who not only led the Philharmonic Society, but was also the director of the so-called Philodramatic Theater. The libretto by A. Piazza, significantly revised by the librettist F. Soler, formed the basis of Verdi's first opera, Oberto. True, the order for the opera was not completed as quickly as desired...

The years of study in Milan ended. It's time to return to Busseto and complete the town's scholarship. Soon after his return, Verdi was appointed conductor of the city commune... Verdi devoted a lot of time to leading the philharmonic orchestra and teaching its musicians.

In the spring of 1836, Verdi's wedding with Margherita Barezzi took place, solemnly celebrated by the Busset Philharmonic Society. Verdi soon became a father: in March 1837 to his daughter Virginia, and in July 1838 to his son Ichiliao.

During the years 1835-1838, Verdi composed a huge number of works of small form - marches (up to 100!), dances, songs, romances, choirs and others.

His main creative forces were concentrated on the opera Oberto. The composer was so eager to see his opera on stage that, having completed the score, he rewrote all the vocal and orchestral parts with his own hand. Meanwhile, the contract with the Busset commune was coming to an end. In Busseto, where there was no permanent opera house, the composer could no longer remain. Having moved with his family to Milan, Verdi began vigorous efforts to stage Oberto. By this time, Masini, who had commissioned the opera, was no longer director of the Philodrama Theater, and Lavigna, who could have been very useful, had died.

Masini, who believed in Verdi’s talent and great future, provided invaluable assistance in this regard. He enlisted the support of influential people. The premiere was scheduled for the spring of 1839, but due to the illness of one of the leading performers it was postponed to late autumn. During this time, the libretto and music were partially reworked.

The premiere of Oberto took place on November 17, 1839 and was a great success. This was largely facilitated by the brilliant performing cast of the play.

The opera was a success - not only in Milan, but also in Turin, Genoa and Naples, where it was soon staged. But these years turn out to be tragic for Verdi: he loses his daughter, son and beloved wife one after another. “I was alone! Alone!... - wrote Verdi. “And in the midst of these terrible torments I had to finish the comic opera.” It is not surprising that “King for an Hour” was not a success for the composer. The performance was booed. The collapse of his personal life and the failure of the opera struck down Verdi. He didn't want to write anymore.

But one winter evening, wandering aimlessly through the streets of Milan, Verdi met Merelli. After talking with the composer, Merelli brought him to the theater and almost forcibly handed him a handwritten libretto for the new opera Nebuchadnezzar. “Here is Soler's libretto! - said Merelli. - Think about what you can make from such a wonderful material. Take it and read it... and you can return it back..."

Although Verdi certainly liked the libretto, he returned it to Merelli. But he didn’t want to hear about the refusal and, thrusting the libretto into the composer’s pocket, unceremoniously pushed him out of the office and locked the door.

“What was to be done? - Verdi recalled. - I returned home with Nabucco in my pocket. Today - one stanza, tomorrow - another; here - one note, there - a whole phrase - so little by little the whole opera arose.

But, of course, these words should not be taken literally: operas are not so easy to create. Only thanks to enormous, intense work and creative inspiration, Verdi was able to complete the large score of Nebuchadnezzar in the fall of 1841.

The premiere of Nebuchadnezzar took place on March 9, 1842 at La Scala - with the participation of best singers and singers. According to contemporaries, such stormy and enthusiastic applause had not been heard in the theater for a long time. At the end of the action, the audience rose from their seats and warmly greeted the composer. At first he even considered it an evil mockery: after all, only a year and a half ago, here he was so mercilessly booed for “Imaginary Stanislav.” And suddenly - such a grandiose, stunning success! Until the end of 1842, the opera was performed 65 times (!) - an exceptional phenomenon in the history of La Scala.

The reason for the triumphant success was, first of all, that Verdi in “Nebuchadnezzar,” despite its biblical plot, was able to express the most cherished thoughts and aspirations of his patriotic compatriots.

After the production of Nebuchadnezzar, the stern, unsociable Verdi changed and began to hang out in the company of the advanced Milanese intelligentsia. This society constantly gathered in the house of an ardent Italian patriot, Clarina Maffei. Verdi began a friendship with her for many years, captured in correspondence that continued until her death. Clarina's husband, Andrea Maffei, was a poet and translator. Based on his poems, Verdi composed two romances, and subsequently, based on his libretto, the opera “The Robbers” based on Schiller’s drama. The composer's connection with Maffei's society had a great influence on the final formation of his political and creative ideals.

Among the Renaissance poets and A. Manzoni's closest friends was Tommaso Grossi, the author of satirical poems, dramas and other works. Based on one of the sections famous poem“Jerusalem Liberated” by the outstanding Italian poet Torquato Tasso Grossi wrote the poem “Giselda”. This poem served as material for opera libretto Solera, to which Verdi wrote the next, fourth opera entitled “The Lombards in the First Crusade”.

But just as in “Nebuchadnezzar” the biblical Jews were meant to be modern Italians, so in “The Lombards” the crusaders were meant to be the patriots of modern Italy.

This “encryption” of the idea of ​​the opera soon determined the tremendous success of “Lombards” throughout the country. However, the patriotic essence of the opera did not escape the attention of the Austrian authorities: they created obstacles for the production and allowed it only after changes to the libretto.

The premiere of The Lombards took place at La Scala on February 11, 1843. The performance resulted in a violent political demonstration, which greatly alarmed the Austrian authorities. The final chorus of the crusaders was perceived as a passionate call for the Italian people to fight for the freedom of their homeland. After the production in Milan, the triumphal procession of “The Lombards” began in other cities of Italy and European countries, and it was also staged in Russia.

“Nebuchadnezzar” and “The Lombards” made Verdi famous throughout Italy. Opera houses, one after another, began to offer him orders for new operas. One of the first orders was made by the Venetian theater La Fenice, leaving the choice of plot to the discretion of the composer and recommending the librettist Francesco Piave, who has since become for many years one of Verdi’s main collaborators and closest friends. A number of his subsequent operas, including such masterpieces as Rigoletto and La Traviata, were written to librettos by Piave.

Having accepted the order, the composer began searching for a plot. Having gone through several literary works, he settled on the drama “Hernani” French writer, playwright and poet Victor Hugo - who had already won European fame with his novel “Notre Dame de Paris.”

The drama "Ernani", first staged in Paris in February 1830, is imbued with a freedom-loving spirit and romantic excitement. Working on Ernani with passion, the composer wrote the score for a four-act opera in a few months. The premiere of Ernani took place on March 9, 1844 at the Venetian theater La Fenice. The success was huge. The plot of the opera ideological content turned out to be in tune with the Italians: the noble appearance of the persecuted Ernani reminded of the patriots expelled from the country, the chorus of conspirators heard a call to fight for the liberation of the homeland, the glorification of knightly honor and valor awakened a sense of patriotic duty. Hernani performances turned into vibrant political demonstrations.

In those years, Verdi developed exceptionally intense creative activity: premiere after premiere. Less than eight months after the premiere of Ernani, on November 3, 1844, the first performance of Verdi’s new, already sixth, opera, The Two Foscari, took place at the Argentina Theater in Rome. The literary source for it was the tragedy of the same name by the great English poet and playwright George Gordon Byron.

After Byron, Verdi's attention was attracted by the great German poet and playwright Friedrich Schiller, namely, his historical tragedy “The Maid of Orleans”. Heroic and at the same time touching image The patriotic girls embodied in Schiller's tragedy inspired Verdi to create the opera Giovanna d'Arco (libretto by Soler). It premiered in Milan theater"La Scala" February 15, 1845. The opera was at first quite a resounding success - mainly thanks to the famous young prima donna Erminia Fredzolini, who performed main role, but as soon as this role passed to other performers, interest in the opera cooled, and she left the stage.

Soon took place new premiere- the opera “Alzira” - based on Voltaire’s tragedy. Neapolitan theatergoers applauded the new opera quite unanimously, but its success also turned out to be short-lived.

"Attila" is the title of Verdi's next opera. The material for her libretto was the tragedy of the German playwright Tsacharias Werner - “Attila - King of the Huns.”

The premiere of "Attila", which took place on March 17, 1846 at the Venetian theater "La Fenice", took place with an ardent patriotic upsurge of performers and listeners. A storm of delight and shouts - “For us, for us Italy!” - prompted the phrase of the Roman commander Aetius addressed to Attila: “Take the whole world for yourself, only Italy, leave Italy to me!”

From his youth, Verdi admired the genius of Shakespeare - he enthusiastically read and re-read his tragedies, dramas, historical chronicles, comedies, and also attended their performances. Cherished dream- he accomplished composing an opera based on a Shakespearean plot at the 34th year of his life: he chose the tragedy “Macbeth” as a literary source for his next, tenth opera.

Macbeth premiered on March 14, 1847 in Florence. The opera had big success both here and in Venice, where it was soon staged. The scenes of Macbeth in which patriots act aroused great enthusiasm in the audience. One of the scenes, where they sing about a betrayed homeland, especially captivated listeners; Thus, during the production of “Macbeth” in Venice, they, seized by a single patriotic impulse, picked up the melody in a powerful chorus with the words “They betrayed their homeland...”

In the mid-summer of 1847, the premiere of the composer’s next opera, “The Robbers,” based on the drama of the same name by F. Schiller, took place in London.

After London, Verdi lived in Paris for several months. The historic year 1848 arrived, when a powerful revolutionary wave swept across Europe. In January (even before the start of revolutions in other countries!) a grandiose popular uprising broke out in Sicily, or more precisely, in its capital Palermo.

IN close connection With revolutionary events In 1848, the composer created the outstanding heroic and patriotic opera “The Battle of Legnano”. But even before it, Verdi managed to complete the opera “The Corsair” (libretto by Piave based on Byron’s poem of the same name).

In contrast to Le Corsair, the opera The Battle of Legnano had resounding success. The plot, drawn from the heroic past of the Italian people, was resurrected on stage historical event: defeat in 1176 by the united Lombard troops of the invading army of the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa.

Performances of the Battle of Legnano, held in a theater decorated with national flags, were accompanied by colorful patriotic demonstrations by the Romans, who proclaimed a republic in February 1849.

Less than a year had passed since the Roman premiere of The Battle of Legnano, when in December 1849 it was staged at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. New Opera Verdi "Louise Miller". Her literary source- “philistine drama” by Schiller “Cunning and Love”, directed against class inequality and princely despotism.

"Louise Miller" is Verdi's first lyrical-everyday opera, in which actors are ordinary people. After its production in Naples, “Louise Miller” toured a number of stages in Italy and other countries.

Verdi was tired of leading a nomadic lifestyle, he wanted to firmly settle somewhere, especially since he was no longer alone. Just at this time, in the vicinity of Busseto, the rather rich estate of Sant'Agata was being sold. Verdi, who then had significant funds, bought it and at the beginning of 1850 moved here with his wife for permanent residence.

Vigorous composer activity forced Verdi to travel around Europe, but Sant'Agata from then on became his favorite residence until the end of his life. Only the winter months did the composer prefer to spend either in Milan or in the seaside city of Genoa - in the Palazzo Dorna.

The first opera composed in Sant'Agata was Stiffelio - the fifteenth in Verdi's creative portfolio.

While working on Stiffelio, Verdi pondered plans for future operas and partially sketched out the music for them. Even then he was already considered one of major composers, but the highest flowering of his creativity was only just beginning: operas lay ahead that brought him the fame of “the musical ruler of Europe.”

Rigoletto, Il Trovatore and La Traviata have become the most popular operas in the world. Created one after another in less than two years, similar in the nature of the music, they form a kind of trilogy.

Literary source “Rigoletto” is one of the best tragedies of Victor Hugo “The King Amuses himself”. First presented in Paris on November 2, 1832, immediately after the premiere, by order of the government, the opera was excluded from the repertoire - as a play “offensive to morality”, since the author in it denounced the dissolute French king of the first half of the 16th century, Francis I.

Secluded in Busseto, Verdi worked so hard that he wrote the opera in 40 days. The premiere of “Rigoletto” took place on March 11, 1851 at the Venetian theater La Fenice, upon whose order the opera was composed. The performance was a huge success, and the Duke's song, as the composer expected, created a real sensation. As the audience left the theater, they hummed or whistled her playful tune.

After the opera was staged, the composer said: “I am pleased with myself and think that I will never write a better one.” Until the end of his life he considered Rigoletto his best opera. It was appreciated by both Verdi's contemporaries and subsequent generations. “Rigoletto” is still one of the most popular operas in the whole world.

After the premiere of Rigoletto, Verdi almost immediately began developing the script for the next opera, Il Trovatore. However, about two years passed before this opera saw the light of the stage. The reasons that slowed down the work were various: this was the death of his beloved mother, and troubles with censorship associated with the production of “Rigoletto” in Rome, and sudden death Cammarano, whom Verdi invited to work on the libretto of Il Trovatore.

Only in the autumn of 1852 did L. Bardare complete the unfinished libretto. Months of hard work passed, and on December 14 of the same year the composer wrote to Rome, where the premiere was planned: “... Troubadour” is completely finished: all the notes are in place, and I am satisfied. Enough to make the Romans happy!”

The premiere of Il Trovatore took place at the Apollo Theater in Rome on January 19, 1853. Although in the morning the Tiber, which was raging and overflowed its banks, almost disrupted the premiere. Less than seven weeks had passed since the Roman premiere of Il Trovatore, when on March 6, 1853, Verdi’s new opera, La Traviata, was staged at the Venetian La Fenice Theater.

Using rich vocal and orchestral means of expression, Verdi created the new kind operas. “La Traviata” is a deeply truthful psychological musical drama from the life of contemporaries - ordinary people. For mid-19th century century, this was new and bold, since historical, biblical, and mythological plots had previously prevailed in operas. Verdi's innovation was not to the liking of ordinary theatergoers. The first Venice production was a complete failure.

On March 6, 1854, the second Venetian premiere took place, this time at the San Benedetto Theater. The opera was a success: the audience not only understood it, but also fell in love with it. Soon La Traviata became the most popular opera in Italy and other countries of the world. It is characteristic that Verdi himself, when asked once which of his operas he loved most, answered that as a professional he ranks Rigoletto higher, but as an amateur he prefers La Traviata.

In the years 1850-1860, Verdi's operas were performed on all major stages in Europe. For St. Petersburg, the composer writes the opera “Force of Destiny”, for Paris - “Sicilian Vespers”, “Don Carlos”, for Naples - “Un ballo in maschera”.

The best of these operas is Un ballo in maschera. The fame of the Masquerade Ball quickly spread throughout Italy and far beyond its borders; it has taken a strong place in the world operatic repertoire.

Another Verdi opera - “Force of Destiny” - was written by order of the directorate of the St. Petersburg imperial theaters. This opera was intended for the Italian troupe, which had been constantly performing in St. Petersburg since 1843 and had exceptional success. The premiere took place on November 10, 1862. St. Petersburg residents warmly welcomed the famous composer. On November 15, he wrote in a letter to one of his friends: “Three performances took place... in a crowded theater and with excellent success.”

In the late 1860s, Verdi received an offer from the Egyptian government to write an opera for the new theater in Cairo with a patriotic plot from Egyptian life to decorate the celebrations associated with the opening of the Suez Canal. The unusual nature of the proposal initially puzzled the composer, and he refused to accept it; but when, in the spring of 1870, he became acquainted with the script developed by the French scientist (a specialist in ancient Egyptian culture) A. Mariette, he became so carried away by the plot that he accepted the offer.

The opera was largely completed by the end of 1870. The premiere was originally scheduled for the winter season of 1870-1871, but due to the tense international situation (Franco-Prussian War) it had to be postponed.

The Cairo premiere of Aida took place on December 24, 1871. According to academician B.V. Asafiev, “this was one of the most brilliant and enthusiastic performances in the entire history of opera.”

In the spring of 1872, the triumphal procession of “Aida” began across other Italian opera scenes, and soon she became famous throughout Europe, including Russia, and in America. From now on, people began to talk about Verdi as genius composer. Even those professional musicians and critics who were prejudiced towards Verdi’s music now recognized the composer’s enormous talent and his exceptional merits in the field of opera. Tchaikovsky recognized the creator of “Aida” as a genius and said that Verdi’s name should be inscribed on the tablets of history next to the greatest names.

The melodic richness of “Aida” amazes with its richness and variety. In no other opera did Verdi display such generous and inexhaustible melodic inventiveness as here. At the same time, the melodies of “Aida” are marked by exceptional beauty, expressiveness, nobility, and originality; there is not a trace of cliche, routine, or “organism” in them, which ancient Italian opera composers, and even Verdi himself, were often guilty of in the early and partly middle periods of his work. In May 1873, Verdi, who was then living in Sant'Agata, received the news that deeply saddened him about the death of 88-year-old Alessandro Manzoni. Verdi's love and respect for this patriotic writer were boundless. In order to adequately honor the memory of his glorious compatriot, the composer decided to create a Requiem for the first anniversary of his death. It took Verdi no more than ten months to create the Requiem, and on May 22, 1874, it was first performed under the direction of the author in the Milanese Church of St. Mark. The richness and expressiveness of the melody, the freshness and boldness of the harmonies, the colorfulness of the orchestration, the harmony of form, and the mastery of polyphonic technique place Verdi's Requiem among the most outstanding works of this genre.

The formation of a unified Italian state did not live up to the hopes of Verdi, like many other patriots. The political reaction caused the composer deep bitterness. Verdi also raised concerns music life Italy: neglect of national classics, blind imitation of Wagner, whose work Verdi greatly appreciated. New rise occurred to the elderly author in the 1880s. At the age of 75, he began writing an opera based on the plot of Shakespeare's play Othello. Opposite feelings - passion and love, fidelity and intrigue are conveyed in it with stunning psychological authenticity. “Othello” combines all the genius that Verdi achieved during his life. Music world was shocked. But this opera was not the finale at all creative path. When Verdi was already 80 years old, he wrote new masterpiece- the comic opera "Falstaff" based on Shakespeare's play "The Merry Wives of Windsor" - a work so perfect, realistic, with an amazing polyphonic finale - a fugue, that it was immediately recognized as the highest achievement of world opera.

On September 10, 1898, Verdi turned 85 years old. “...My name smells like the era of mummies - I myself dry up when I just mutter this name to myself,” he sadly admitted. The quiet and slow decline of the composer’s vitality continued for more than two years.

Soon after humanity solemnly welcomed the 20th century, Verdi, who lived in a Milan hotel, was struck by paralysis and a week later, early in the morning of January 27, 1901, at the age of 88, he died. National mourning was declared throughout Italy.

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi(ital. Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi, October 10, Roncole, near the city of Busseto, Italy - January 27, Milan) - Italian composer, central figure of the Italian opera school. His best operas ( Rigoletto, Traviata, Aida), known for its richness of melodic expressiveness, are often performed in opera houses around the world. Often disparaged by critics in the past (for "indulging the tastes of the common people", "simplistic polyphony" and "shameless melodramatization"), Verdi's masterpieces are the mainstay of the conventional operatic repertoire a century and a half after they were written.

Early period

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; written by order of the Imperial Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg), the second edition of Macbeth ( Macbeth).

Operas by Giuseppe Verdi

• 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. Based on the poem of the same name by 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 García 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.
• 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, adapted for the stage by Schiller under the title “Wallenstein”. The premiere took place at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg
• Don Carlos- 1867. Based on the play of the same name by Schiller
• Aida- 1871. Premiered at the Khedive Opera House in Cairo, Egypt
• Othello- 1887. Based on Shakespeare's play of the same name
• Falstaff- 1893. Based on “The Merry Wives of Windsor” by Shakespeare

Musical fragments

Attention! Music fragments in Ogg Vorbis format

• “The heart of a beauty is prone to betrayal”, from the opera “Rigoletto”(info)

Notes

Links

• Giuseppe Verdi: Sheet music of works at the International Music Score Library Project

Operas Giuseppe Verdi

Oberto (1839) King for an Hour (1840) Nabucco (1842) Lombards in the First Crusade (1843) Ernani (1844) The Two Foscari (1844)

Joan of Arc (1845) Alzira (1845) Atilla (1846) Macbeth (1847) The Robbers (1847) Jerusalem (1847) Corsair (1848) Battle of Legnano (1849)

Louise Miller (1849) Stifellio (1850) Rigoletto (1851) Troubadour (1853) La Traviata (1853) Sicilian Vespers (1855) Giovanna de Guzman (1855)