Guiseppe Verdi Composer Study

Verdi is almost synonymous with opera, so to study Verdi, you'll want to listen to lots of his famous opera pieces. The absolute best option would be to watch a live opera in person. But it that's not feasible, watching a recorded performance is also option.

Another choice would be to listen to audio recordings. Of course, with audio you won't get the entire opera experience -- the stage, the costumes, and the orchestra pit. But at least you're hearing the music and the vocals. An advantage of only listening is that you won't have to delve into some of the unseemly aspects of the story-lines. So choose what best fits your situation, possibly using a combination of options for the best exposure to Verdi.

If you do choose individual operas to study, you have many options because Verdi was such a prolific composer. See his complete list of works here. These operas were written for adults, so there are adult themes of love affairs, jealousy, murder, and suicide. Be sure to read summaries of the operas before sharing them with your children.

Free opera summary sources:
Opera Stories (public domain text)
The Victor Book of the Opera(public domain text)
Opera Opera (website)

Most of the story lines are better saved for older children. Here are some notes about several more popular operas by Verdi.

• La traviata
  Although one of his best known operas, be aware that the plot centers around the love affairs of a courtesan.
  
  ENO Opera Pack for La traviata
  La Traviata Education Materials from San Fransisco Opera


• Rigoletto
  Another bad choice for children, Rigoletto recounts the womanizing exploits of the Duke of Mantua.
  
  ENO Opera Pack for Rigoletto


• Aida
  Aida, an Ethiopian princess, is captured and brought into slavery in Egypt. A military commander, Radames, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to the Pharaoh. To complicate the story further, Radames is loved by the Pharaoh's daughter Amneris, although he does not return her feelings.
  
  ENO Opera Pack for Aida
  Libretto of Aida


• Il trovatore
  This is a good choice as long as you don't mind a tragedy -- both main characters die in the end. We watched a DVD of this opera; my daughter and I both loved it!
  
  How to pronounce Il trovatore (audio)
  Il Trovatore Education Materials from San Francisco Opera


• Macbeth
  Here you have a great Shakespeare tie-in.
  
  Macbeth Study Guide (PDF) from San Francisco Opera


• Otello
  This is another opera based on a Shakespearean play. It's a tragedy, of course, and characters die in the story.
  
  Otello Education Materials from San Fransisco Opera


• Falstaff
  This opera is based on Shakespeare's play The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes from Henry IV.

For biographical information about Verdi, the book The World's Great Men of Music by Harriette Brower has a chapter about Verdi. Find this public domain book at Google Books or in .txt format.