Verdi, the greatest composer of all seasons

by Gwen Herat

There was never one like him and there never will be. Though not as overly popular as Beethovan, Mozart or Tchaikovsky he rises above all, for his immaculate, spectacular shining scores. Every note that went into his brilliant compositions such as the sacred Requiem, Othello, Aida, Nabucco and Four Sacred Pieces, remain untouched by any one because no one has ever come to a striking distance of them.

Unmatchable by others though he was not professionally trained at the Conservation because he was over age for admission by the time he got there. But he had superceded all greats though under ago to do so. He was so remarkable that the cathedral organist, Ferdinando Provesi took over the young Verdi who was showing signs of a genius even at 16.

He was already deputising for Provesi when a generous musical enthusiast, Antonio Barezzi came forward to help him. He became a member of his family and a year later was sent to Milan and became a private student of the Chief Conductor of La Scala.

Crucial years

The next three crucial years under Vincenzo Lavigna, reaped results. He returned to Busseto in 1834 and married his sponsor's daughter, Margarita Barezzi in 1836. Back again in Milan, he presented his first opera, Obreto so successfully that he was offered to stage more at La Scala. But production of operas was not his forte and he floundered. The creation of Nabucco sung by the talented Giuseppina Strepponi threw his marriage to tatters.

Verdi was so taken up with her that he moved in with her and lived for 10 years, without marrying despite the scandal caused.

He married her in 1859 and lived happily for the next 40 years, which meant they lived for 50 years in harmony each inspiring the other. When she died, Verdi was devastated and suffered long agonies of loneliness. He had dedicated Naabucco to her.

In 1859, Cavour persuaded Verdi to stand for election in the first Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy. He rejected saying he wanted to spend every minute of his life with Giuseppina at their estate which he ran as a model farm.

No one left him alone. He was lured from his semi-retirement to compose Aida, a spectacular opera celebrating the opening of the Suez Canal. He dedicated The Requiem to his hero, Manzoni who died in 1874. He produced yet another masterpiece, Shakespeare's Falstaff when he was 74 years old. Six years later he produced yet another brilliant score Otello.

He confessed to a friend that all his brilliant scores were inspired by Giuseppina who provided him with never ending, love and an inborn impetus. Verdi was also involved in two charity projects to help his people. One, a hospital near Busseto and a home near Milan for retired musicians called Casa di Riposo.

When Giuseppina died, it brought to a halt the 50 years of happiness he shared with her and in 1901 when he breathed his last after four years of loneliness without her, his funeral was as spectacular as his music.

Two hundred thousand people paid their respects and most watched the funeral procession from the streets of Milan while the slaves' chorus from Nabucca, 'Va, pensiero was sung by a musical choir with the orchestra of La Sacala conducted by the youthful, Arturo Toscanini.

Musical career

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was the son of a smallholder who ran a modest general store. They were peasants who lived in a small village near Bisseto in the Duchy of Parma. Senior Verdi was unable to educate his talented son but with the help of a friend managed to launch him a into musical career which the father nor son ever imagined the turn of events that would zoom the young Verdi to such great heights.

What makes Verdi the most popular of all opera composers? It is the ability to write glorious melodies with an innate understanding of the stage and how to write for the human voice. Though no theoretician or academic but wrote perfectly poised fugue when inclined such as the ending of Falstaff.

Rigoletto (1851) revolves around the hunchback jester, Rigoletto whose daughter, Gilda is seduced by the Duke of Mantua came into high praise then and still holds same. It is one of the finest manifestations of Verdi's genius.

Nebucco (1842) was sited in Jerusalam and Babylon in the sixth century BC. At the time of scoring, he was not aware of the parallel between the enslaved Hebrews of his opera and the plight of his fellow countrymen under Austrian oppression.

Aida (1871) - is the final magnificent work of Verdi's second season where he used every element of his art that was sublime large-scale choruses and poignant arias, pageant, dance spectacle and with exoticism.

They together confirmed his statues as one of the greatest musical dramatists. The AID's theme is doomed love. Radames, a Captain of the Egyptian guard who falls in love with, next an Ethiopian slave who sings about her in one of the greatest arias called, 'Celeste Aid' and another memorable moment thats know as Aida's Ritorna and many more.

Othello (1887) is arguably Verdi's finest opera and his outstanding achievement and a dedication to Shakespeare.

Almost 15 years apart from Aida and Othello, Verdi felt increasingly older that he could not surpass the brilliance of Aida. Wagner's operas were dominating the world.

Though he admired Wagner, Verdi knew such methods were not his forte. He presented Shakespeare's Othello with Boito's treatment with such dramatic elements that wielded indivisibly together for a great number of arias to follow.

Requiem (1874) is acknowledged as Verdi's only masterpiece not intended for the stage and was hailed by Hans von Bulow as Verdi's latest opera in church vestments.

The spectacular spiritual moments intended for the tenor's inegmisco are combined with such intensity and stirring setting is a long way off from the masses of Bach and Mozart.

That is why Verdi is the greatest at opera.