RomanticGiuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi was born in a little village in Italy.
Giuseppe Verdi’s life
The big moments of this life, and what was happening in the world at the same time.
A life at a glance
- 1813👶 Birth
Born on 10 October in Le Roncole, son of an innkeeper
- 1816🌍 Meanwhile
Maelzel patents the metronome (1815–16)
- 1823📚 Trainingage 10
Studies in Busseto, supported by the merchant Antonio Barezzi
- 1836❤️ Private lifeage 23
Marries Margherita Barezzi
- 1840🌍 Meanwhile
Adolphe Sax invents the saxophone (c. 1840)
- 1842🎼 Workage 29
Triumph of Nabucco at La Scala, with the chorus ‘Va, pensiero’
- 1851🎼 Workage 38
Rigoletto
- 1853🎼 Workage 40
Il trovatore and La traviata
- 1859🏛️ Landmarkage 46
‘Viva VERDI’ becomes a slogan for Italian unity
- 1861🎩 Careerage 48
Member of the first parliament of united Italy
- 1874🌍 Meanwhile
First exhibition of the Impressionist painters
- 1875🌍 Meanwhile
The Palais Garnier opera house opens in Paris
- 1899🎩 Careerage 86
Founds a retirement home for musicians in Milan
- 1901🕯️ Deathage 88
Dies in Milan on 27 January; a huge crowd sings ‘Va, pensiero’
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Excerpts of up to 90 seconds, freely licensed recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
Once upon a time…
Giuseppe Verdi was born in a little village in Italy. His parents ran an inn. At nine he became the organist of the village church!
As a young man he suffered a great sorrow: he lost his wife and his two children. He did not want to compose any more. But a friend gave him a story to set to music, Nabucco. Verdi read the chorus of the slaves dreaming of their homeland, “Va, pensiero”, and went back to work.
His operas became very famous: Rigoletto, La traviata, Aida… At that time Italy wanted to become one country, and “Viva Verdi” was written on walls as a secret message!
At seventy-nine he wrote another very funny opera, Falstaff. He also created a retirement home for old musicians.
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