Salve Maria
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), 1843
|
A biographical
dictionary of musicians (ed. Theodore Baker) G. Schirmer, 1905 - 695
pages |
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Verdi (Fortunio) Giuseppe (Francesco) most eminent
among contemporary Italian opera composers b at the village of Le Roncole n
Busseto Duchy of Parma Oct 9 1813. His father was an innkeeper and grocer
the son's precocious talent was trained for a year by the village organist
liaistrocchi whom V succeeded at the age of ten and for three more by F
erdinando Provesi at Busseto in 1831 with pecuniary aid from his father's
friend Antonio Barezzi of Busseto he repaired to Milan but was refused
admission to the Conservatory by Basili the Director on the score of lack of
musical talent V took private lessons in composition of Lavigna cembalist at
La Scala in 1833 he returned to Busseto as conductor of the 1 hil harm Soc
and organist and in 1836 married Barezzi's daughter Margherita In 1838 with
his wife and two children he returned to Milan with the finished score of an
opera Oberto contc di San Bonifacio which was accepted by Merelli the
impresario for La Scala and performed with success on Nov 17 1839 liefore
this time he had written between 13 and iS marches for brass band short
symphonies six concertos and variations f pf which he played himself many
serenate cantate arie duetti terzetti and church works eg a Stabat Mater
also during the first three years at Milan 2 symphonies and a cantata then
in Busseto a Messa a Vespro 3 Tantum ergos other church music and choruses
to A Manzoni's tragedies and II cinque Maggio Merelli immediately
commissioned him to write 3 operas one every eight months at 4000 lire
apiece with half the proceeds of the copyright The first was a comic opera
Un giorno di regno In the midst of the work his wife and both children died
in swift succession small wonder that an opera distasteful in subject and
completed under such conditions should have proved a dead failure Milan Sept
5 1840 V was so discouraged and despondent that he determined to give up
composition for good However some time after Merelli persuaded him to set to
music Solera's Nabucco Nebuchadnezzar which was given at La Scala on Mar 9
1842 with tremendous applause Signorina Strepponi V s future spouse taking
the role of Abigaile The success of Lombardi alia prima Croeia a also at I a
Scala on Feb II 1843 was yet more emphatic especially as voicing
symbolically the national aspirations of the patriotic Milanese This work
has survived the test of time it is still played in Italy and was successful
in Brussels though less so at Paris as Jerusalem under which title it was
revived at Amsterdam in 1895 L rnani written for La F enice Th at Venice
after Victor Hugo's Hernani was greeted Mar 9 1844 with enthusiasm and prod
on 15 different stages within 9 months In this year he married Giuseppina
Strepponi see below Now followed a series of works which added nothing to
the composer's fame due Foseari Rome Nov 3 1844 Ciovanna d Arco Milan F eb
15 1845 Ahira Naples Aug 12 1845 Attila Venice Mar 17 1846 Macbeth Florence
Mar 14 1847 Masnadicri after Schiller's Jiduber London II M s Th July 22
1847 Jerusalem Lombardi revised and augmented Paris Grand Opera Nov 26 1847
Corsaro Trieste Oct 25 1848 and a battaglia di Legnano later as VAssedio d
Artcm Rome Jan 27 1849 Luisa Miller had real success at the Teatro San Carlo
Naples Dec 8 1849 and still holds the stage in Italy Stiffelio Trieste Nov
16 1S50 prod later as Guglielmo H eling rode also with another libretto as
Aroldo was a failure Rigoletto written in 40 days and brought out at Venice
La Fenice Th Mar 11 1 85 1 has also been gi v en as iscardello ushered in
Verdi's most brilliant period it was followed by Trovatore Rome Apollo Th
Jan 19 1853 and La Traviata Venice la Fenice Th Mar 6 1853 also given as
Violetta works which established his fame as the greatest living Italian
composer of opera For the ensuing 18 years no signal triumph was recorded
Les vfpres siciliennes Paris Opera June 13 1855 in Italian 7 es ri siciliani
also given as Gio vanna di Guzman Simon Boccanegra Venice Mar 12 1S57
revised and successfully revived at Milan Apr 12 1881 Aroldo a revision of
Stiffelio Rimini Aug 16 1857 l n ballo in maschera Rome Feb 17 1859 La forza
del destino St Petersburg Nov 10 1862 Macbeth revised Paris Apr 21 1865 and
Don Carlos Paris Opera Mar II 1S67 were received either coolly or with
moderate applause In La forza del destino however began a transition to a
richer and more elaborate style of instrumentation and harmony which
attained very marked development in Alda written for the Khedive of Egypt
and first perf at Cairo Dec 24 1871 its overwhelming success there was
intensified at Milan La Scala Feb 8 1872 and good fortune has attended its
production throughout Europe Berlin 1874 Vienna 1875 Paris and London 1876
Brussels 1877 etc Mis Manzoni Requiem prod in 1874 made a furore in Italy
its markedly theatrical style has prevented an equally warm reception in
Germany and England despite its undeniable musical beauties Mis last stage
works were Olello Milan Feb 5 18S7 and FalstaffCSUUn Feb 9 1893 the latter
especially seems destined for a long and prosperous career Undoubtedly
influenced by his contemporaries Meyerbeer Gounod and Wagner in his
treatment of the orchestra Verdi's dramatic style nevertheless shows a
natural and individual development and has remained essentially Italian as
an orchestral accompaniment of vocal melody but his later instrumentation is
far more careful in detail and luxuriant than that of the earlier Italian
school and his melody more passionate and poignant in expression In 1S93 he
received the title of Marchese di Busseto from the King of Italy He is
living in retirement at his villa Sant Agata near Busseto Besides the works
enumerated above V has written 2 books of Romances 2 songs for bass a
Notturno a 3 STB etc an Inno delle Nazioni for the London Inhibition 1S62 a
Pater noster and an Ave Maria
and a string quartet 1873 Biographical The latest and best biography is that
by Gino Monaldi publ only in a German translation by I udwig llolthof at
Leipzig 1898 Giuseppe Verdi und seine Werke a well written interesting and
reliable work Further by Pougin Verdi souvenirs anecdo tiques Paris 1878 in
ICnglish 1887 also ir a fine Italian ed with valuable notes and additions by
Folchetto by l ugenio Checchi Giuseppe Verdi il genio e le opere Florence
1887 by Blanche Roosevelt Verdi Milan and Otello London 1887 by G Perosio
Cenni biografici and B Bermani Schizzi both at Milan Ricordi by Basevi
Studio sulle opere di GV Florence 1859 also cf F e tis Grove Hanslick Die
moderne Oper p 217 etc |
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