Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian composer, one of the most influential figures in the world of opera, and a key figure in the development of the Italian Romantic movement. He was born on either October 9 or 10, 1813, in Roncole, near Busseto, in the Duchy of Parma, Italy, and passed away on January 27, 1901, in Milan, Italy.
Verdi’s early life was marked by musical education with the help of a local patron, Antonio Barezzi, and despite being rejected by the Milan Conservatory, he studied privately with Vincenzo Lavigna. His career took off after the success of his early opera Nabucco in 1842, and he became known for his sympathies with the Risorgimento movement, which sought the unification of Italy.
Throughout his career, Verdi composed many operas that remain staples of the operatic repertoire today, including Rigoletto (1851), Il trovatore (1853), La traviata (1853), Don Carlos (1867), Aida (1871), Otello (1887), and Falstaff (1893). His Requiem Mass (1874) is also a significant work in the choral repertoire.
Verdi’s later years were marked by a return to composing with three late masterpieces after the success of Aida. He became a landowner and sought a quieter life, but his music continued to be celebrated. The bicentenary of his birth in 2013 was widely commemorated, reflecting his enduring legacy in the world of classical music. His works are known for their emotional depth, memorable melodies, and dramatic character, making him a beloved composer whose music continues to be performed worldwide.
Prelude to Act One of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi was transcribed for double bass octet in 2011 by David Heyes and the arrangement was…
Prelude to Act One of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi was transcribed for double bass octet in 2011 by David Heyes and the arrangement was performed in California, USA soon afterwards.
In place of an overture, the Act One Prelude sets the scene with an evocative and ethereal introduction before leading into a beautifully sumptuous melody, set against a colourful and engaging accompaniment and a joyfully playful counter-melody. It ends quietly and simply.
The music transcribes well for double bass octet and there are musical, technical and ensemble challenges for each performer.
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was the leading Italian composer of the second half of the 19th-century and his many operas are still at the heart of the international, Repertoire into the 21st-century.
La Traviata is based on ‘La Dame aux camélias’ (The Lady of the Camellias) by Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) and its premiere at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice on 6 March 1853 was a failure. Verdi asked after the premiere “La Traviata, last night, a fiasco. Is it my fault, or the singers? Time will show.” Indeed, time has shown what a masterpiece this is and it is one of Verdi’s most beloved operas to this day.
