Last
time we talked about Italian opera in the first half of the 19th
century. Today, let’s look at opera in Italy in the later half. Giuseppe Verdi
wrote outstanding melodies that became so popular he began to hide them as he
composed in fear they would be leaked prior to the premiere.
Verdi
preferred to choose the opera’s subject and to pull it from a successful spoken
drama from writers such as Shakespeare and Hugo. Verdi also composed with
certain singers in mind, creating vocal parts that would best fit the
individual’s voice. He typically would wait to complete the orchestration until
after rehearsals began.
In
his famous Rigoletto, Verdi uses
various styles of singing to depict the main characters. The hunchback
Rigoletto does not have a clear aria while the Duke of Mantua sings in a
tuneful manner. Gilda alternates between both styles. Enjoy Rigoletto here.
