Giuseppe Verdi

1813-1901
 Background
► Born October 10th, 1813 in Roncole, Italy
► Father Carlo Verdi, “inkeeper”
► Mother Luigia Uttini, “spinner”
► Middle class- landowners and traders
► He was first introduced to music at age four by local
priests
► In 1831 he moved in with musician Antonio Barezzi
and began giving singing and piano lessons
► Married Barezzi’s daughter, Margherita
► Had two children with Margherita:a daughter, Virginia
and a son, Icilio Romano
► 1838 both children die from pneumonia
 Background
► The death of his wife in 1840 and of his two children
two years earlier resulted in his first composition
which was 6 mournful songs
► 1868 Verdi meets Italian poet Allessandro Manzoni
► Verdi went on to take different companions but never
remarried
► 1874 finishes the Requiem which he wrote for
Allessandro Manzoni. The Requiem is preformed in
Milan, exactly one year after Manzoni’s death
► Continued composing and revising various operas
► 1901 Verdi suffers a fatal stroke and dies on January
27th
► His funeral was preformed without music or singing as
a result of Verdi’s wishes
 Works
Operas
Verdi is mostly known for his 28 operas including,
Nabucco, Aida and Macbeth in 1847

Church Music
The most famous of his works include the Requiem,
the Quattro pezzi sacri (Four Sacred Pieces) and
the Ave Maria sulla scala enigmatica
 The Requiem
The Roman Catholic Funeral Mass
• meaning “Grant them eternal rest, O Lord”
• completed in 1874 to mark the 1st anniversary of
the death of Italian poet and novelist, Allessandro
Manzoni also referred to as the Manzoni Requiem
• the Requiem was first preformed in Milan one year
after Manzoni’s death
• While most considered him a genius some critics
thought the Requiem was too operatic
 Structure of the Work
1. Requiem and Kyrie Eleison (chorus, soloists)
2. Dies Irae
3. Offertorio (soloists)
4. Sanctus (double chorus)
5. AGNUS DEI (soprano, mezzo-soprano, chorus)
6. Lux Aeterna (mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass
7. Libera Me (soprano, chorus)
 AGNUS DEI
Prayer to Jesus, to the Lamb of God
 Text &Translation
Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi,

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of world

miserere nobis

have mercy on us

Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of world

dona nobis pacem

grant us peace
 Did you know???
The Agnus Dei was introduced in the Mass by
Pope Sergius (687-701), which may have
been a defiant act against the Byzantine
empire (Constantinople), who ruled that
Christ shall not be depicted as an animal.
The Agnus Dei, like the Credo, was one of
the last things to be added to the Mass
Ordinary. (Green)
Behind the Music
• Uses strong rhythms, moving melodies
and dramatic contrasts
• Strives to express the powerful emotions
created by the text
•The most angelic of the pieces
• Preformed by female soloists in
combination with the choir
 Bibliography
Green, Aaron. Classical Music
Retrieved April 17, 2006
http://www.classicalmusic.about.com/od/theordinaryofthe
mass/f/agnusdeihistory.htm

Lawson, Anne. Verdiana

Retrieved April 11, 2006
http://www.r-ds.com/opera/verdiana/chronology.htm

Pilkington, Michael. Requiem. Great Britain:

Novello and Company Limited, 1993