Verdi: His Music, Life and Times

"Giuseppe Verdi, the titan of Italian opera, was very much a man of his times, and an understanding of them is essential to a full appreciation of his masterpieces. Both his music and life were part of the Risorgimento, the movement that established Italian unity and independence. He represented his district in assemblies, ran for office, and served in the first parliament of the Italian kingdom. With such operas as Aida, La Traviata and Rigoletto, he ranks as one of the world's most popular composers, yet he hardly fits the world's image of that role. At the age of eighteen, he was rejected by the Conservatory of Milan and throughout his life he was a farmer and an astute business man. He developed his talents over a long life, composing Otello at 73, Falstaff at 79 and his last works in his eighties. If musical genius can be won by hard work, Verdi accomplished it. In his personal life, he was a paradox. He loathed publicity, yet composed for the stage. Almost a recluse in his search for privacy, he spoke with his music to the hearts of men, as he did in the scope of his charities. Tragedy struck early with the deaths of his first wife and two young children. Subsequently, he created a furor in his small home town by bringing his mistress, the renowned soprano Strepponi, back to live there and ten years later he wed her to enjoy one of the most successful marriages in the history of music. But the town never forgot nor forgave. George Martin, an officer and director of the Metropolitan Opera Guild and author of the 'The Opera Companion: A Guide for the Casual Operagoer,' describes the restless years through which Verdi lived and gives a dynamic picture of their impact upon the man and musician. Based upon the latest research, to which the author has himself contributed, and including several of Verdi's letters which are published here for the first time, this definitive biography is a fitting tribute to the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the composer's birth. Includes musical illustrations, bibliography, appendices, index." --Dust jacket.