The year 2023 commemorates the 210th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901), and in this course, we consider his achievements as an opera composer. An overview of Verdi’s life and career takes up the initial class session, including the musical influence on Verdi’s earliest works by his most important predecessors (Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti). The following sessions discuss each of Verdi’s operas in chronological order, with the final session devoted to Verdi’s last two operas, “Otello” and “Falstaff,” delving deeply into the music as well as the intimate relationship these works have with the plays of Shakespeare on which they are based. In addition to PowerPoint presentations, excerpts from the operas will be presented on recordings and videos.
Please Note: This course is an updated version of the same course offered by Professor Rosenblatt in Fall 2013.
