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In paintings and in photographs, from youth to old age, Giuseppe Verdi cuts a rather severe figure \u2013 his brow creased, his mouth turned resolutely down beneath that bushy beard, his mood solemn and inscrutable. Only in some of the photographs taken late in life do we glimpse a twinkle in the eyes, as if
One wonders what he thought about the life he had lived, across almost a century of drastic social change and dramatic political events, of personal sorrows and astonishing professional achievements. The journey from son of a rural innkeeper to country squire \u2013 a rags-to-riches narrative that he was not averse to embellishing \u2013 had been a long one.<\/p> Verdi was born before the Battle of Waterloo; he died during the Boer War. He lived through revolutions and the much-longed-for unification of his country. He could be a harsh taskmaster with librettists and singers, ill-humoured at times, yet was capable of acts of great charity, founding a hospital near Parma and a retirement home for musicians in Milan. <\/p> Verdi witnessed the death of both his children in infancy, followed soon after by that of his first wife. He was ostracised by his local community for living out of wedlock for years with the soprano Giuseppina Strepponi. The act of creativity often gave him headaches, stomach aches and sore throats.<\/p> Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was one of the most influential Italian opera composers of the 19th century. His operas, with their intense emotional power and melodic<\/a><\/strong> richness, have earned their place at the centre of the opera and classical repertoire. Powerful and emotive, Verdi’s operas are often driven by basic human emotions and dramatic conflicts, such as love, power, betrayal, and redemption.<\/p>The act of creativity often gave him headaches, stomach aches and sore throats<\/h6>
Who was Giuseppe Verdi?<\/h2>