Italian Giuseppe Verdi was one of the world's greatest ever composers, despite tragedy in his early life
Giuseppe Verdi is was one of the world's greatest ever composers. His 25 operas, such as Aida and La Traviata, are famed the world over and his works are thought to be the most performed of any composer.
He was born on 10 October 1813, near Busseto - a town near Parma - which was then a part of the First French Empire. This is why, despite the Italian name we know, Verdi's official registered name was Joseph Fortunin François Verdi. Verdi was the son of parents described in baptismal records as an innkeeper and spinner.
Verdi's greatness didn't come without heartbreak. His early progress was blighted by tragedy. His younger sister died aged 17, when Verdi was 20 years old. He married aged 22 and within just four years had lost two children and his wife Margherita. Understandably devastated, it took Verdi some time to really put his heart and soul back into composing.
In 1842-43, Verdi produced two new operas (Nabucco and I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata) which were great successes.
Throughout the next four decades, his career went from strength to strength. He became well known in the Italian opera world, and later in politics too. Musically, he is known for his ability to create melodies and for his use of theatrical effect.
After the unification of Italy in 1861, many of Verdi's operas were re-interpreted as having hidden revolutionary messages. His name was used in a political slogan - Viva VERDI, in which 'VERDI' stood for Viva Vittorio Emanuele Re D'Italia (Long Live Victor Emmanuel King of Italy), which referred to Victor Emmanuel II, the then king of Sardinia.
Listen to Verdi
You can access many recordings of Verdi's work on Europeana. For starters, try La Traviata, Aida and Falstaff.
Even within Verdi's lifetime, La Traviata (The Fallen Woman) was one of Verdi's most-performed operas and has gone on to be among the most frequently performed of all operas. It was first performed in 1853 at La Fenice opera house in Venice, based on the play La Dame aux camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils.
You can listen to Act 1 of the Opera here.
