Giuseppe Verdi (1818-1901)

Giuseppe Verdi, portrait by Giovanni Boldini, 1886 © Public domain

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Of all the 19th-century Italian opera composers, one stood head and shoulders above the rest. But Giuseppe Verdi was more than just an opera composer. He became a political figurehead. Our playlist includes nine of his most famous operas and his Requiem, described as “an opera in ecclesiastical garb”.

Fact file
Year of birth1813
Year of death1901
NationalityItaly
PeriodRomantic
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Ludovic Tézier © Cassandre Berthon / Opéra national de Paris

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Streams with works by Giuseppe VerdiMore...

£Sub

Rigoletto

Opéra national de Paris

Free

Arias and Ensembles from Italian Operas

Académie de l'Opéra national de Paris

£Sub

Falstaff

Opéra national de Paris

£Sub

Simon Boccanegra

Opéra national de Paris

£Sub

Il trovatore

Opéra national de Paris

£Sub

La Traviata

Opéra national de Paris

£Sub

Aida

Opéra national de Paris

Gran Teatre del Liceu

Free

Macbeth

Marcus Bosch

Upcoming eventsSee more...

VeronaNabucco

Arena di Verona, Jul 23, Aug 01, 08, 20, 28, Sep 09

Verdi: Nabucco

Michele Spotti; Stefano Poda; Arena di Verona Corps de Ballet; Sebastiano Rolli

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St Giles Cathedral, Fri 24 Jul at 20:00

Verdi, Mozart, Donizetti, Bizet, Puccini

The Piccadilly Sinfonietta; Susan Parkes

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Royal Albert Hall, Fri 24 Jul at 19:30

Verdi, Walton, Respighi

Sinfonia of London; John Wilson; Jonathan Aasgaard

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Arena di Verona, Fri 24 Jul at 21:15

Verdi: Aida

Daniel Oren; Stefano Poda; Arena di Verona Corps de Ballet; Arena di Verona Orchestra

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Milton Abbey, Sat 25 Jul at 19:30

Verdi: Messa da Requiem

Gavin Carr; Jennifer Davis; Victoria Simmonds; John Findon; James Platt

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Latest reviewsSee more...

Ermonela Jaho bows out as Violetta in Coppola’s stylish Rome Traviata

Ermonela Jaho (Violetta) and ensemble © Fabrizio Sansoni | Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Pia Maltri, 21 Jun

After singing the role of Violetta over 300 times, Ermonela Jaho announces this Rome run of La traviata will be her last.

****1

Elin Pritchard (Elisabetta) © Marc Brenner

Roy Westbrook, 06 Jun

Jo Davies’ 2016 staging is revived at the Theatre in the Woods, given a bold execution, led by a regal Elisabetta.

****1

Staatskapelle Dresden © Prague Spring Festival | Michal Fanta

Frank Kuznik, 04 Jun

In a powerful performance conducted by Daniele Gatti, Verdi’s Requiem soars with optimistic energy to close the Prague Spring festival in Smetana Hall.

*****

George Petean (Simon Boccanegra) and Georg Zeppenfeld (Jacopo Fiesco) © Dutch National Opera | Ben van Duin

Eleanor Knight, 04 Jun

Everything about this production is fresh and wonderful.

*****

Madison Leonard (Violetta) and Oleksiy Palchykov (Alfredo) © Clive Barda

David Karlin, 27 May

Music Director Douglas Boyd conducts a performance of exceptional musical quality, and Louisa Muller's uncontroversial but passionate direction makes this Traviata one for the ages.

*****

Giuseppe Verdi (1818-1901)

VeronaNabucco

EdinburghA Night at The Opera by Candlelight (feat. Nessun Dorma)

LondonJohn Wilson Conducts Respighi’s ‘Roman Trilogy’

VeronaAida Ed. Stefano Poda

Blandford ForumVerdi Requiem

Ermonela Jaho bows out as Violetta in Coppola’s stylish Rome Traviata

Elin Pritchard leads a fine cast in Grange Park’s Don Carlo revival

Staatskapelle Dresden provides scintillating finish for Prague Spring

Jetske Mijnssen’s Boccanegra a coup for DNO season finale

Garsington’s new La traviata ticks every musical and dramatic box

Year of birth	1813
Year of death	1901
Nationality	Italy
Period	Romantic