The opera program in Valencia, a testament to Verdi's importance in the Unification of Italy

He didn't give his life to the revolution, but he became its standard-bearer. Giuseppe Verdi , an icon of the patriotic movement, set the Italian people's yearning for freedom to music. He defined nationalism through his musical score. And he fulfilled his purpose before arriving at Rigoletto , a masterpiece that is part of the opera program in Valencia this year, 2019. The Risorgimento adopted this bel canto figure as the standard-bearer of its struggle. An emblem whose international fame was earned through historical melodramas that exalted the nation's aspirations against Austrian tyranny. To approach his work is to approach the history of Italian unification.

Giuseppe Verdi, before Unification

Le Roncole (Busseto), a small town in the Duchy of Parma, was his birthplace in 1813. The composer, who wrote some of the most unforgettable musical works of all time, died in Milan in 1901. He began to build his reputation at a very young age. The best example of this early genius is a biography published by Bermani . Sketches on the Life and Works of Maestro Verdi was published when the subject was not yet 34 years old.

At that time, his operas garnered critical and public acclaim. However, to achieve that idol status, he first had to endure some failures . Un giorno di regno , which premiered in 1840, was a major flop.

Connecting with the audience beyond musical beauty

This despondency stemmed from the recent deaths of his wife and children from meningitis. A devastating illness shattered the composer's heart. And it was this pain that helped him piece it back together through music. The raw emotion that fueled his creations resonated with the public. His operas captivated audiences who embraced this fury in the fight for the restoration of Italian greatness .

'Nabucco', The Jewish people, on the other side of the mirror

The musician's awakening didn't come until a year after those fateful deaths . It was the impresario Giovanni Merelli who ignited the spark of change in a desolate Verdi. He insisted that the composer set to music the famous libretto by the poet Temistocle Solera. The artist's irritation, enveloped in an atmosphere of torment and despair, led him to throw the manuscript to the floor violently. The work fell, landing open to a random page. With only chance as an explanation, Verdi read: “ Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate ” (“ Go, thought, on golden wings ”).

A single sentence quelled his anger. Four words were enough to make the Italian obsessed with Nabucco . In fact, before dawn, he knew the libretto by heart. He read it three times that night, pushing aside the nostalgia that filled his heart. He then began to capture the people's anger at the oppressive yoke. And the tragedy of Solera provided him with the tools he needed.

In this work, based on a story from the Old Testament , the subjugated people are the Jews. The biblical plot is based on the story of the Babylonian captivity, where Nebuchadnezzar reigns.

The highly anticipated premiere

A year after that revelatory night for the composer, Nabucco premiered at La Scala in Milan. The success on that March 9th could only be described as “unique.” The commotion was such that in 1842, “ Oh mia patria sì bella e perduta ” was heard 64 times on stage. Those verses became a true revolutionary anthem for staunch supporters of liberal ideals.

Censorship for an opera icon

Verdi thus ignited national pride. This fervor led to a wave of commissions to illustrate the idiosyncrasies of the Risorgimento. The composer approached these increasingly numerous works with professionalism and ideological commitment. Applause also multiplied, but the composer of Aida and La Traviata gained an enemy: censorship. Fortunately, Verdi navigated it with ease. He succeeded thanks in part to the invaluable collaboration of Countess Maffei and her circle of intellectuals.

The first clash with the Austrian censors occurred in 1843 , following the performance of I Lombardi alla prima crocciata. A letter from Cardinal Gaetano Gaisruk, Archbishop of Milan, alerted the chief of police. Gaisruk demanded that Verdi modify certain passages deemed inappropriate by the oppressors. His threat went further: if his request was not fulfilled, he would write to the Emperor . The composer refused, and the policeman did not contradict the musician's wishes.

Political experience

With even greater force, the artist continued to delight his audience in works such as Attila (1846) , where the Huns occupy Italian territory. A year later, in Macbeth , he also illustrated the pain of the humiliated with music. But he was not content with simply giving voice to the victims on stage. He participated in political life, becoming a deputy in the first Italian Parliament.

It was merely a brief interlude, as Giuseppe Verdi returned to composing in 1865. He continued to criticize the Church, which he described as cruel and ambitious. From this period (1867) comes Don Carlo , another of his unforgettable operas.

Italian troops occupied Rome three years after that premiere. The Risorgimento was now in effect, and the new state appointed Verdi a senator for life, thus recognizing his contributions.

This composer undoubtedly became a symbol of freedom in 19th-century Italy. Not to mention his ability to capture the psychological complexity of human beings.

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