Giuseppe Verdi's career forms one of the loveliest arcs in musical history. The passion of his works resonates universally, while the sophistication of his middle and late operas satisfies demanding ears and tastes. In
Verdi: The Operas and Choral Works, Victor Lederer surveys every one of the master's 28 operas and his greatest choral pieces, showingVerdi's growth as a musical dramatist – he would revolutionize th e hidebound conventions of 19th-century Italian opera – and his single-minded pursuit of dramatic truth.
After describing the chaotic milieu in which Verdi learned his craft, the book provides act-by-actanalyses of the early masterpieces
Nabucco,
Ernani, and < i>Macbeth. The neglected operas from the composer's self-described “years in the galleys” are covered together. Lederer then takes readers through the magnificent sequence of Verdi operas from
Luisa Miller onward, including the fine but underrated
Stiffe
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