Giuseppe Verdi is considered, together with

Richard Wagner, the most important opera

composer of the nineteenth century.
Throughout his entire life Verdi wrote operas
which are still considered today to be among
the very finest in the entire Italian operatic
repertoire. More than half of them are in the
standard repertory of every opera company
today.
1. According to statistics on worldwide opera
performances, three of Verdis operas, Traviata,
Rigoletto, and Aida are constantly among the
most performed operas, each accumulating
300 to 400 performances a year worldwide.
2. Premiered in Italy 160 years ago, La Traviata
is based on the successful French Novel The
Lady of the Camellias written by Alexandre
Dumas. The tragic love story and fascinating
characters, with the exceptional music by
Verdi, made the opera a great success from its
start. Even in our days La Traviata remains the
worlds most-performed opera.
3. The tenor aria La donna e mobile from
Rigoletto is one of the most famous arias ever
written for an opera, and is familiar even to

people who never listen to opera.

4. Legend has it that when Verdi was finishing
up his opera Il Trovatore, a famous critic
stopped by. Verdi sat at the piano and played a
few excerpts for him.
What do you think? Verdi asked.
Thats terrible, the critic replied
Well, what about this? Verdi asked as he
played another fragment.
Rubbish came the response.
And this? At which point Verdi played the
now-famous Di quella pira
Absolutely horrible! said the great critic as he
covered his ears.
Verdi jumped up from the piano and thanked
the critic, saying ,Ive been writing an opera
for the people of Italy not for purists like you. If
you hate it, that means the whole world will
whistle and play it all over Italy!
Verdi was right!
5. In the spring of 1873 during a production of
Aida in Naples, Verdi decided to compose a

String Quartet piece, his only known chamber

music work. The piece was informally
premiered in his hotel room to a small
audience. Verdi commented on the work,
saying Ive written a Quartet in my leisure
moments in Naples. I had it performed one
evening in my house, without attaching the
least importance to it and without inviting
anyone in particular. Only the seven or eight
persons who usually come to visit me were
present. I dont know whether the Quartet is
beautiful or ugly, but I do know that its a
Quartet! Despite Verdis humble words, his
String Quartet in E minor is valued among the
great classical chamber works of the 19th
century.
6. Verdis music was used in hundreds of film
scores. One of the most famous scenes is from
Pretty Woman when Richard Gere takes Julia
Roberts to the opera. The opera they see, La
Traviata, is not such a coincidence since it is
the story of a courtesan falling in love with one
of her suiters, a theme reflected with the films
characters. Scenes from Act I, II and III are
featured.
7. Born only a few months apart, Giuseppe

Verdi and Richard Wagner are both considered

the greatest operatic composers of all time.
Although the two composers never met, there
was a known rivalry between them.
8. During the struggle for Italian independence,
the slogan Viva Verdi was used as an acronym
for Viva Vittorio Emanuele Re DItalia (Long
Live Victor Emmanuel King of Italy), playing on
the famous Italian opera composers name.
9. Besides being one of the most famous and
respected composers, Verdi was also a big food
fan and he really loved Italian traditional dishes
from his area. His most favourite one was a
traditional pork product named Spalla Cotta Di
San Secundo. The composer used to send this
delicious ham to his friends all over the world
from his villa in SantAgata.
10. Giuseppe Verdis funeral in 1901 remains
the largest public assembly of any event in the
history of Italy. During it Arturo Toscanini
conducted the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves
from Nabucco accompanied by a huge
orchestra and choir composed of musicians
from throughout the country.