In keeping with the theme of strong characters all around, there is no doubt that much of the appeal for Verdi’s operas is his strong women. Even the hateful Duke of Mantua is loveable to the audience because of how Verdi infuses him with an infectious melody. Instead, Verdi always reveals more than one might imagine and actually makes us not only empathize with these characters but actually sympathize. The great antagonists of such operas as “Atilla,” “Don Carlo,” and “I Vespri Siciliani,” are more than just men on vengeful rampages and the likes. Moreover, his villains are never truly one-sided. They say that there are no small characters and Verdi certainly follows this idea. And yet, can one ever claim that Verdi overlooks a single one of them.

While there is no doubt that some of Verdi’s characters are among the greatest created for the opera stage (see Otello, Falstaff, Filippo, Nabucco, Simon Boccanegra, the Macbeths, Rigoletto, Gustavo, etc.) there is also no doubt that there are many stock characters layered throughout his works, particularly in the early ones. Exhibit A: “Il Trovatore.”Īnd yet, here we are. So what makes Verdi’s opera so enduring and ever-fascinating? Throughout history, many of his works have often been criticized for their melodramatic plotting, much of which lacks narrative consistency.

Even composers of the past that are getting revivals of sorts can’t quite claim the same status. While some of his greatest works have always held a spot in the operatic canon, spots that have never been threatened, lesser known operas from decades ago, such as “I Due Foscari,” “Giovanna d’Arco,” or “Atilla,” have suddenly found themselves unshakably fixed in the modern canon. But what is most fascinating is that his works endure to this day. 9, 1813, the composer’s output far outpaced many opera creators before and after.

Next to Richard Wagner, is there an opera composer that stands as tall as Giuseppe Verdi?īorn on Oct.

Giuseppe verdi opera