Giuseppe Verdi

Performance History(1831–1901)

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) was an Italian opera composer whose works helped define 19th-century Italian opera. Best known for La Traviata, Verdi’s operas combine memorable melodies with deeply human characters and dramatic realism.

Over a career spanning more than fifty years, Verdi composed 26 operas that transformed the genre by shifting away from the rigid formulas of early 19th-century bel canto structures. His music brought greater continuous action to the operatic stage, treating the score as a  storytelling engine rather than repeatedly stopping the plot for solo showcases. He expanded the role of the baritone voice, developing dramatic characters like Rigoletto and Simon Boccanegra.

Verdi's operas remain among the most frequently performed in the world. "Va, pensiero"—a chorus of enslaved prisoners from Nabucco—is still sung today at Italian political rallies and public memorials, treated as an unofficial second national anthem. That's the measure of Verdi's reach: a tune written for the opera house that became the voice of a nation. 

Verdi Fast Facts

Born: October 10, 1813 (Le Roncole, Duchy of Parma, now Italy)
Died: January 27, 1901 (Milan, Italy)
Active years: 1839–1893
Operas Composed: 26
Most famous operas: La Traviata, Aida, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, Otello
Signature musical trait: The baritone voice at the center of the plot