Verdi is a towering figure in Italian opera, the dominant composer in the second half of the 19th century. Many of his 28 operas have become the core of the standard opera repertory, and it’s hard to imagine any opera company that does not regularly perform several of them. While it would be a difficult feat to include all his “greats” in one course, we will look at five of them: Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Aida, and Otello. The first three, written between 1851-1853, are often regarded as his popular trio, and cemented his reputation as a leading opera composer. Aida was commissioned in 1871 for the opening of an opera house in Cairo (not the opening of the Suez Canal, as sometimes said). Otello, written in 1887, is sometimes called the pinnacle of Italian opera.
For each work, we will look at two or more different productions, to see how the work changes with the view of different directors, and we will listen to outstanding singers. No prior knowledge of opera, or of Italian, required—all the operas have subtitles.
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The majority of class time will be spent in looking at DVDs of the opera being discussed, after it has been introduced. This is not primarily a discussion course, but there should be some time each week to discuss impressions of the works presented. Preparation time will generally be reading the provided synopses of the operas. There may also be links to short articles or other short clips, and those are optional. Preparation should be less than an hour a week.