Verdi - Victor Lederer

Giuseppe Verdi's career forms one of the loveliest arcs in musical history. The passion of his works resonates universally
while the sophistication of his middle and late operas satisfies demanding ears and tastes. In Verdi: The Operas and Choral Works
Victor Lederer surveys every one of the master's 28 operas and his greatest choral pieces
showing Verdi's growth as a musical dramatist
he would revolutionize the hidebound conventions of 19th-century Italian opera
and his single-minded pursuit of dramatic truth.After describing the chaotic milieu in which Verdi learned his craft
the book provides act-by-act analyses of the early masterpieces Nabucco
Ernani
and Macbeth. The neglected operas from the composer's self-described
years in the galleys
are covered together. Lederer then takes readers through the magnificent sequence of Verdi operas from Luisa Miller onward
including the fine but underrated Stiffelio. Each of the late operas
Don Carlo
Aida
and Otello and Falstaff
the twin Shakespearean masterworks that crown Verdi's oeuvre
is discussed at length in its own chapter. Lederer also examines Verdi's monumental Requiem along with the choral Quattro pezzi sacri
Verdi's sublime final achievement. The book comes with a Naxos CD of musical selections representing highlights from throughout Verdi's long
remarkable career.