Opera-tune-ists: A look at Giuseppe Verdi

First published at South Florida Opera Scene on December 7, 2011, updated on September 7, 2012

Okay, so I mentioned in my first post that I wrote a blog focused on opera in South Florida.  Since I don't plan on using that one anymore, once a week I will be importing (and adapting) an article from it.  I will start with one from the Opera-tune-ist series, (yes, I know, it's a horrible pun!) in which we will explore the lives and works of the great composers.  I will be starting with my favorites, and I will slowly work my way on to some that I may be less familiar with.  With each composer, I'll start with a brief history, discuss some of his (or her) famous works, and touch on some more obscure compositions.  And who knows?  We might all discover something new from this!

Our first opera-tune-ist is Giuseppe Verdi, my absolute favorite composer.  Verdi was born in 1813 in Le Roncole, a village located in the Duchy of Parma.  He began his musical education in Busetto, but moved to Milan as a young man to complete his studies.  His first opera, Oberto, was moderately successful when it premiered at La Scala in 1839.  Un Giorno di Regno, his second opera, was his first attempt at a comedy.  The opera, however, was a failure, due in part to the untimely deaths of his wife and two young children while he was writing it.  After its premiere and subsequent cancellation, Verdi almost gave up composition, but fortunately for us, he agreed to write Nabucco, which skyrocketed him to fame.  In the years after this success, Verdi composed many brilliant works, including his three most popular operas, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, and Rigoletto.  After Aida, which premiered in 1871, Verdi took a sixteen year hiatus from composition, and did not produce another opera until 1887, when he unveiled Otello.  His final opera, Falstaff, was a huge success when it premiered in 1893.  In the intervening years before his death, he completed a handful of compositions that included the sacred work Stabat Mater.  Verdi suffered a stroke on January 21, 1901, and died six days later. 
During his lifetime, Verdi met many challenges to his work from the censors.  Many of his libretti were considered too politically provocative, and names, ranks, and locations had to be changed before the operas were deemed acceptable.  Verdi has been variably associated with the Risorgimento, and his name was adopted as an acronym for Vittorio Emanuele Re D'Italia.  Following the unification of Italy, he served briefly as a member of the Chamber of Deputies, and was named a Senator of the Kingdom.
Verdi's music was greatly influenced by Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, and Meyerbeer, but he succeeded in creating a sound that was entirely his own.  Unlike many of his contemporaries, Verdi avoided any Wagnerian influence in all of his works except Otello.
Here are three examples of Verdi's brilliance, taken from his early, middle, and late career.
We will start with Ildar Abdrazakov as Oberto, from Verdi's first forray into the world of opera.

No discussion of Verdi would be complete without the Brindisi from La Traviata, so here it is with that Titan among tenors, Placido Domingo.

Okay, I lied.  I will actually be sharing two examples from Verdi's middle career.  I just couldn't bring myself to write about Verdi without including one of the greatest Verdi baritones, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, singing one of Verdi's greatest baritone roles.  Now I agonized over whether to use Il Trovatore or Rigoletto, and Rigoletto almost won, but (I'm sure I've said this before) Il Trovatore is my very favorite, so how could I not choose it?  Anyway, here is Dmitri Hvorostovsky singing the duet from Act IV with Sondra Radvanovsky.

And here is Verdi's late triumph, Otello, sung by the brilliant duo, Placido Domingo and Sherrill Milnes.  Oh, and nice pants, Sherrill.

Okay, okay, I know I said only three videos, and I know I already added a fourth, but after all, I did say that I would include some works that were not so well-known.  So here is Dmitri Hvorostovsky (again) in I Masnadieri.

And on that note, I bid you all good night.  Until next time!

Opera of the week (or two) club

Ladies and gentlemen, today we are going to try something new.  I have partnered up with Opera Guy to bring you an exciting new way to explore the world of opera.  Opera Guy locates rare and hard-to-find recordings on vinyl and uploads them to his website.  Once a week (or two, depending on how it goes) I will post a link to the featured recording and another to a post on Opera Oregon's Facebook page.  I will try to post a synopsis or a link to a libretto for each opera.  Once we have listened to it, we will open up discussions.  Feel free to talk about whatever you want: the recording, the singers, even the opera itself or its composer!  Once I can figure out how to get chat working, we will try designating a time for anyone who is able to listen together and discuss live.  But in the meantime,  here is our first recording!

This week, we will be listening to Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, starring Renata Tebaldi, Jussi Bjoerling, and Ettore Bastianini.  You can find the libretto here, and our discussion here.  Happy listening, and let's have some fun with this!

  

Hello, Oregon! Let's start the new opera season together!

Welcome to Opera Oregon.  Since this is my first post, I will take a moment to introduce myself.  I have just returned to Eugene after spending fifteen long years on the East Coast.  Most recently I lived in Florida, where, over the past year, I put a small bit of time into writing a local opera blog, South Florida Opera Scene.  I reviewed local performances and the occasional cinema broadcast, and I explored various artists and composers.  I discussed various methods of bringing opera to new audiences, and sometimes I just picked a random opera-related topic to talk about.
But that was there, and this is here.  It's time for a new blog, with a new focus, and...  Oh, who am I kidding?  I'm sticking with the same general ideas.  Only now, obviously, I will be taking note of everything operatic the Beaver State (clearly nicknamed by someone who doesn't live in Eugene) has to offer.  Over the next few days, I will be expanding on the site and compiling a calendar of all upcoming performances.

In the meantime, TONIGHT IS OPENING NIGHT AT THE MET!!!  You know, at the MET!!!  The season will be starting with L’Elisir d’Amore, and will be starring Anna Netrebko and Matthew Polenzani.  And we'll get to listen to it LIVE!  It will be streamed on the Met's website with pre-show commentary starting at 3:30 Oregon time.  It will also be available on SiriusXM Channel 74, and there will be backstage coverage on Twitter with the hashtag #MetON.  Oh, and if that's not enough, Alex Trebek will be getting in on the fun with Clues From the Met on Jeopardy!  So sit back, relax, and enjoy, and get ready for a season full of opera!