Giuseppe Verdi

Born: October 9 or 10, 1813, in Roncole, Italy

Died: January 27, 1901, in Milan, Italy

Operas: Oberto, Un giorno di regno, Nabucco, I lombardi alla prima crociata, Ernani, Macbeth, Luisa Miller, Rigoletto, Il trovatore, La traviata, Les vêpres siciliennes, Simon Boccanegra, Un ballo in maschera, La forza del destino, Don Carlos, Aida, Falstaff

About the Requiem: The final movement of the Requiem, “Libera me,” was originally composed to be part of a Requiem Mass for beloved Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini, but that Mass never materialized. Instead, Verdi used the piece to build a bigger and better mass for his idol, Italian poet and author Allessandro Manzoni, upon his death in 1873. The Requiem Mass for Alessandro Manzoni (1785-1873) was first performed at the Church of San Marco, Milan on 22nd May 1874 (exactly a year to the day after Manzoni’s death) with Teresa Stolz (soprano), Maria Waldmann (mezzo-soprano), Giuseppe Capponi (tenor) and Ormondo Maini (bass); Verdi himself conducted.

Master Chorale concerts

"Va pensiero" from Nabucco
Sunday, May 18, 2008