Music Tuesday: Giuseppe Verdi Appreciation Thread

The other day on the 10^th was the 200^th anniversary of Giuseppe Verdi’s birth.  He is by far my favorite opera composer, and frankly, I don’t care what anyone says, the greatest.  I’m not going to get to why, just accept it.  I have to admit, though, to my embarrassment I have never been to an opera.  I have wanted to go on numerous occasions, but one of two things happens.  Either the opportunity requires me to go to an opera that is not a Verdi work, and no, I keep telling myself, my first has to be Verdi.  Or, an opportunity comes up and my wife nixes it.  Unfortunately my wife is not into classical music or opera.  I have dragged her quite a few times to the Philharmonic, and she detests it.  The only reason she agrees is for a night and dinner in Manhattan.  But the night has to be just right. I have not had such a coincidence of a Verdi opera and her willingness to suffer through one. 

If you don’t know too much about Verdi, oh find the time to learn about his music, and listen.  Start with the Essential Verdi: 40 of His Greatest Masterpieces. 

How about we start with this well known aria from Rigoletto, “La donna è mobile."    Here’s the great Luciano Pavarotti singing, “Woman is flighty./Like a feather in the wind,/she changes in voice/and in thought.”

 

And then there is the opera that first brought Verdi to the heights of the greats, Nabucco,  a storyline based on the flight of the Israelites from their Babylonian captivity.  This great chorus, titled, “Va, pensiero” as you can read was inspired on Psalm 137 and sometimes referred to as “The Chorus of  the Hebrew Slaves.”  It’s sense of nationalism became a sort of rallying cry for the unification of Italy during the next two decades.  Turn the volume up on this.  Every time I hear it it brings tears to my eyes.

 

Greet the banks of the Jordan
and Zion's toppled towers...
Oh, my country, so beautiful and lost!
Oh, remembrance, so dear and so fatal!

Another of my favorites is Aida, a story set in ancient Egypt.  The Egyptians have captured Aida, an Ethiopian princess, and Radamès, a military commander, falls in love with her.  To make a long story short he chooses to die than give her up.  Here is the great final scene where he is locked up in a vault to suffocate, but finds that his beloved has hidden herself to die with him.  From outside they hear chanting from a festival to the dead, and so that their death becomes associated with the divine.

 

 

Of Verdi’s 28 operas, only two were comedies, his second, which stands as his one possible failure, and therefore was reluctant to ever attempt another comedy, until his very last, Falstaff, based on Shakespeare’s comic play, The Merry Wives of Windsor.  Here’s that wonderful finale, and therefore might be Verdi’s last composition.

 

Here from Il trovatore, a chorus of soldiers singing of going into battle.  I just love this. 

 

I also could have gone with the great gypsy chorus, otherwise known as the “Anvil Chorus” from Il Trovatore, but I limited myself to one per opera.  They really do hammer at anvils during the chorus.  Do yourself a favor and look that one up.

Finally let me end with my all time favorite, LaTraviata.  The central character is Violetta, a courtesan (fancy prostitute, to be blunt), who falls in love with Alfredo, and try to run away from her past.  Here, from where the two meet at a party where this toast “Libiamo ne’lieti calici,” is sung, or in English, “Drink from the joyful cup.”  You have probably heard this.  It’s about as perfect a piece of music as can get.

 

Here are the entire lyrics for this one.

Alfredo

Let's drink, let's drink from the joyous chalices

that beauty so truly enhances.

And may the brief moment be inebriated

with voluptuousness.

Let's drink for the ecstatic feeling

that love arouses.

Because this eye aims straight to the heart, omnipotently.

Let's drink, my love, and the love among the chalices

will make the kisses warmer.

Chorus

Ah! Let's drink, and the love among the chalices

will make the kisses warmer.

Violetta

With you all, I can share

my happiest times.

Everything in life

which is not pleasure is foolish.

Let's enjoy ourselves

for the delight of love is fleeting and quick.

It's like a flower that blooms and dies

And we can no longer enjoy it.

So enjoy; A keen and flattering

voice invites us!

Chorus

Let's enjoy the wine and the singing,

the beautiful night, and the laughter.

Let the new day find us in this paradise.

Violetta

Life means celebration.

Alfredo

Only if one hasn't known love.

Violetta

Don't tell someone who doesn't know.

Alfredo

But this is my fate...

All

Let's enjoy the wine and the singing,

the beautiful night, and the laughter.

Let the new day find us in this paradise.

 

Oh I would love to have that played at my funeral!

Let us drink to this wonderful, joyous genius, Giuseppe Verdi.