Giuseppe Verdi
(10 October 1813–27 January 1901)
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (Italian pronunciation: [dÊ’uˈzÉ›ppe ˈverdi]; 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century. His works are frequently performed in opera houses throughout the world and, transcending the boundaries of the genre, some of his themes have long since taken root in popular culture – such as "La donna è mobile" from Rigoletto, "Va, pensiero" (The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Nabucco, "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" (The Drinking Song) from La traviata and the "Grand March" from Aida.
Operas
| Opera | Premiere or date of written | Libretti available |
|---|---|---|
Rigoletto  |
1851, March 11 | italian, german, english, french |
| Il trovatore | 1853, January 19 | italian, german, english, french |
| La traviata |
1853, March 6 | italian, german, english, french |
| Les vêpres siciliennes | 1855, June 13 | italian |
| Un ballo in maschera | 1859, February 17 | italian, german, english, french, russian |
| La forza del destino | 1862, November 22 | italian, german, english, french, russian |
| Aida |
1871, December 24 | italian, german, english, french |
| Otello | 1887, February 5 | italian, german, english, french |
| Falstaff | 1893, February 9 | italian, english |
History
- April 10, 1813 — Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, one of the central figures of opera history and creator of works such as "La traviata", "Aida", and "Otello", was born in Le Roncole.
- March 9, 1842 — Giuseppe Verdi’s opera "Nabucco" premieres at Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
- May 3, 1842 — The premiere of Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Nabucco" took place at La Scala in Milan, marking his breakthrough success.
- March 9, 1844 — Giuseppe Verdi’s opera "Ernani" premieres at Teatro La Fenice in Venice.
- March 17, 1847 — World premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s "I masnadieri" at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London.
- April 11, 1847 — The revised version of Verdi's "Macbeth" was first performed in Florence, representing a significant reworking of the original 1847 score.
- March 11, 1851 — Giuseppe Verdi’s "Rigoletto" received its world premiere at Teatro La Fenice in Venice.
- January 19, 1853 — Giuseppe Verdi’s opera "Il trovatore" premiered at the Teatro Apollo in Rome.
- March 6, 1853 — First performance of Giuseppe Verdi's "La traviata" at Teatro La Fenice (Venice).
- May 14, 1853 — "Rigoletto" received its Royal Opera House premiere at the Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden.
- April 29, 1854 — Premiere of Giuseppe Verdi's opera 'Il Trovatore' at Teatro Apollo in Rome.
- April 14, 1855 — The premiere of Verdi's "Les vêpres siciliennes" took place at the Paris Opéra.
- May 20, 1856 — Verdi's French revision of "Il trovatore", titled "Le trouvère", was first performed at La Monnaie in Brussels.
- March 11, 1867 — Verdi’s grand opera "Don Carlos" premiered at the Paris Opéra (Salle Le Peletier).
- February 27, 1869 — Revised version of Verdi’s "La forza del destino" was presented at Teatro alla Scala (Milan).
- January 10, 1884 — La Scala premiere of Verdi’s revised 1883 four-act Italian version of "Don Carlos" (often listed as "Don Carlo") at Teatro alla Scala (Milan) on 10 January 1884.
- February 5, 1887 — World premiere (first performance) of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera "Otello" at Teatro alla Scala (Milan).
- March 15, 1888 — Giuseppe Verdi’s "Otello" received its Austrian premiere at the Vienna Hofoper (today’s Wiener Staatsoper).
- April 2, 1890 — The revised four-act version of Verdi’s "Don Carlos" received a performance at La Scala in Milan, representing an important stage in the opera’s evolving performance history.
- May 19, 1894 — First UK performance of Giuseppe Verdi's final opera, 'Falstaff', with Arturo Pessina in the title role.
- February 4, 1895 — "Falstaff" (Giuseppe Verdi) was first performed at the Metropolitan Opera (New York).
- January 27, 1901 — Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi died in Milan.
- May 4, 2025 — Opera Colorado presents Verdi's 'Il Trovatore' in concert at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver.
