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People In Music History
Verdi, Giuseppe [Fortunino Francesco] (1813-1901) Italian composer, born in
Busseto of a poor family; became organist and composer in boyhood, but rejected
by Milan Conservatory as overage and insufficiently gifted. First opera,
Oberto, 1839. Later operas -- grafting an individual mastery (vocal,
orchestral, and dramatic) onto traditional Italian models -- include Nabucco,
Macbeth, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Simon Boccanegra, A Masked Ball,
The Force of Destiny, Don Carlos, Luisa Miller, Aida, Otello, and Falstaff. The
last two are products of his 70s, and rely less on the appeal of successive
"set" numbers. Wrote also Requiem and a few other works to religious texts,
although not himself a churchman; also string quartet -- little else. In his
earlier operas he became the symbol of resurgent Italian nationalism and
frequently clashed with censors suspecting revolutionary implications: in 1860
-1865, he himself sat as deputy in that part of Italy already unified. But
later lived in seclusion. Founded a home for aged musicians in Milan. After
early death of his first wife, lived with and then married the singer
Giuseppina Strepponi. Died in Milan.