Giuseppe Verdi: The Patriotic Composer

Giuseppe Verdi was the composer for the masses. He thought of his country and its people as he composed, and his music shows the passion of mankind and depicts emotions such as love, hate, jealousy and fear.

Value, through music, worked for the unification of his country. As a true nationalist, his operas were a vessel of pride for the Italian people, and they still are.

Giuseppe Verdi’s childhood

Giuseppe Verdi was born on October 10, 1813, in Parma. He was born into a very humble family. His father, Giuseppe, was an innkeeper, and his mother Luisa, a seamstress.

When he turned eight, Giuseppe began to show interest in music, which was why his father gave him a spinach made especially for him. The prodigy Giuseppe was discovered by Antonio Barezzi, who later became his guardian.

When he turned twelve, Verdi moved to Busseto to live with Barezzi. He took care of his education and gave him the best music training. During this time he met Fernando Provesi.

As a young adult

Right after turning 18, Verdi moved to Milan and tried to study in the city’s conservatory, but they thought he was too old to study there. Verdi’s piano playing technique was also a little strange to them. Ironically, the same conservatory is named after him now.

Then, in 1836, at the age of 23, Verdi married Marguerita Barezzi, his guardian’s daughter. They had two children, who died at a very early age. During this time Verdi worked in his opera prima, Oberto .

The couple made arrangements to play Oberto in La Scala. The opera was successful and had 14 performances. After this, Verdi signed a contract with the theater to premiere three more of his works.

Margherita passed away on June 18, 1840 due to encephalitis. She was 26 years old. Value was shattered, but had to keep working. During this time he wrote Un giorno di regno , a comedy. The opera premiered on September 5, 1840, and was an absolute flop. Sønderknust considered Verdi himself to quit.

Love grief

Italy had become a ruined country, which led Verdi to compose Nabucco . The opera premiered at La Scala in 1842 and was an incredible success. People flocked to the theater and really got connected to Verdi’s drama.

Nabucco was Verdi’s justice in Milan, both as a composer and as an icon of the Italian association’s efforts. People even regarded his ” Va, pensiero ” as a hymn of resistance.

Giuseppe Verdi’s first masterpiece and the last works

His first magnum opus (masterpiece) , Rigoletto , premiered in 1851. Il trovatore and La traviata came two years later. Verdi continued to push his boundaries as a composer and produced works such as Aida (1871). This opera is more harmonious than his earlier works. You hear shorter but better integrated arias, and more coherent movements.

From that moment on, Verdi slowly stopped composing after making two of his latest masterpieces: Otello and Falstaff .

Giuseppe Verdi: His death and legacy

During his last years, Verdi lived a quiet life and dedicated himself to the countryside. During his trip to Milan, Verdi suffered a stroke and died on January 27, 1901. His death shocked the country and the musical community.

Before his death, Giuseppe Verdi founded a home for retired and homeless musicians called la Casa di Riposo per Musicisti . He left all his fortune to this house, and at his request he was buried there next to his second wife, Giuseppina, who died in 1897. Today, this home cares for older musicians.

Few musicians and composers have been able to translate their political philosophy into music as Verdi did. The audience loved his work, and that was why he was so successful.

Value was unique because he used music to bring people together. Many criticized his operas because he talked about suicide, rape and free love. Nevertheless, Verdi overcame many adversities and made music on his own terms.