Giuseppe
Verdi
(1813–1901)
Other names: Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi[E6Y]
Positions Held
Deputy for Borgo San Donnino (now Fidenza), 1861-65[E6Y]
Biographical
An Italian classical composer, Verdi started music lessons at the age of
four, and learnt the spinet at the age of seven. At the age of ten,
he went to school at Busseto and was later composing music for the town's
church and orchestra. He was taken under the wing of music enthusiast
Antonio Barezzi (who later gave him his daughter in marriage) in 1831 and
helped him study in Milan. He later studied privately under the composer
Vincenzo Lavigna. He enjoyed some success with his first opera Oberto,
conte di San Bonifacio, produced at La Scala in 1839, but his next opera,
Un giorno di regno, was a failure which, coupled with the deaths
of his wife and two children, led to his severe depression. His opera
Nabucco was first performed in 1842 and after its great success,
Verdi was considered a hero of Italian music. He continued to produce operas
regularly, many regarded as masterpieces. He entered politics in 1861 at
the encouragement of Cavour. In around 1873, he went through a period of
public scandal because of his relationship with the soprano Teresa Stolz.
He retired to his farm at Sant'Agata, near Roncole, in 1873, but returned
to the stage with his opera Otello which opened at La Scala in 1887.
He then retired once again, but was persuaded one more time to return with
his final opera, Falstaff, in 1893. During retirement, he composed
some sacred music.[E6Y]
Place of birth Roncole, Parma[E6Y]
Place of death: Milan[E6Y]
Place of burial: Cimitero Monumentale, Milan; transferred a month later
to the Casa di Riposo, Milan[E6Y]
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