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The Life and Operas of Verdi
- Narrated by: Robert Greenberg
- Series: The Great Courses: Fine Arts & Music
- Length: 24 hrs and 18 mins
- Lecture
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Entertainment & Celebrities
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Publisher's Summary
The Italians have a word for the sense of dazzling beauty produced by effortless mastery: sprezzatura. And perhaps no cultural form associated with Italy is as steeped in the love of sprezzatura as opera, a genre the Italians invented. No composer has embodied the ideal of sprezzatura as magnificently as Giuseppe Verdi, the gruff, self-described "farmer" from the Po Valley who gave us 28 operas and remains to this day the most popular composer in the genre's 400-year-old history. His operas are produced more than those of any other composer, and one source claims that his La Traviata (1853) has been staged live somewhere around the world every evening for the past 100 years!
This series of 32 lectures from one of music's most acclaimed teachers combines biography with a variety of musical excerpts to reveal the treasures of creativity that account for this popularity. It explores in depth and detail both the famous and not-so-famous Verdi operas, as well as his one great concert work, the Requiem Mass of 1874; his early songs; and his very last composition, a setting of the Stabat Mater. You trace his development from a more or less conventional composer of operas in the traditional Italian bel canto (beautifully sung) style to a creator of truly innovative musical dramas in which the power of music to intensify and explore human emotion is exploited to the fullest degree.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
What listeners say about The Life and Operas of Verdi
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul
- 01-30-15
Viva Verdi!
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
An excellent review of an amazing man
What other book might you compare The Life and Operas of Verdi to and why?
How to Listen to and Understand Great Operas, Operas of Wagner
Which character – as performed by Professor Robert Greenberg – was your favorite?
Excellent review of Verdi
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
From Italy with Love
Any additional comments?
Prof. Greenberg does and excellent job with these courses. I signed up for Audible 19 months ago and have listened almost exclusively to his courses. Having just finished Verdi, I have listened to all of his courses. It took over 13 days worth of listening according to the Audible clock. My appreciation for music and its composers has been greatly enhanced by listening to Prof. Greenberg's courses. I highly recommend listening to his courses.
13 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alifa
- 12-06-13
The Life and Operas of Verdi
I came late to an appreciation of opera, and found this course to be a fantastic adjunct to my growing knowledge. Sometimes I think the professor was a bit snarky and tried too hard to be funny, but that is merely a quibble. He provided an amazing amount of detail about Verdi's life, and much valuable information about the major operas. I did think he dwelt too long on Verdi's last opera, Falstaff, but that is quite understandable, since it was a radical departure for Verdi (whose operas tended toward the tragic). Now I want to go visit Buzetto and see Verdi's home, and I can hardly wait until June, when La Traviata will be performed at Masada.
7 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J. E. Obrien
- 10-16-16
Informative and Interesting Course
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Overall I would recommend it with reservations. The Italian and Latin pronunciation of Professor Greenberg is atrocious. It is very hard on the ears at times. The professor should know better...It shows a lack of preparation...
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Life and Operas of Verdi?
The most memorable moment was when the professor clearly plagiarizes the Otello section of Bridget Paolucci's 1995 Talking about Verdi audio lecture...
What does Professor Robert Greenberg bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The music
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The music...I am looking for information about the casts and recordings used...
Any additional comments?
He leaves out a discussion of some of the pivotal operas in Verdi's career, especially Simon Boccanegra and the revision with Boito...Why? I would like to know?
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- ka1225
- 12-02-13
Brilliant narration but too much focus on the man
Where does The Life and Operas of Verdi rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
It would be among the top 5. It is well narrated but too much focus is on the man and not soo much on his music.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Life and Operas of Verdi?
The episode of the creation of Otello and Verdi's passion and patience with composing.
Which scene was your favorite?
Same as above
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
At moments it made me feel sad with the way the author defined the pains of Verdi.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Timothy J. Smith
- 07-17-20
The Passion of Verdi vs the wit of the Borscht Bel
This series, originally given in the 90s, is hard to fully evaluate. You will either find Greenburg's OTT somewhat contrived informality irritating and distracting, or--as I did--a welcome counterbalance to the detail-laden treatment of Verdi's life and development as a composer. I am something of a Verdi scholar myself, and thought I had a pretty thorough knowledge of his works etc. - but Greenburg's use of correspondence from other people, early biographies, contemporary newspaper articles informs us and gives us a wider understanding of Verdi than would be true if we were left with Greenburg's own reverent passion for him--which is seldom critical and often drenched in operatic hyperbole. Even so, again, as an audio course, i have suffered through too many lifeless lecture series to really whinge on about this guy. I learned a lot, and rediscovered a pleasure in experiencing some of Verdi's middle operas that I had long forgotten. If you can get past or get along with the Borscht Belt bits, you will come away knowing a good deal about Verdi and his operas. I don't write many reviews (no time) but I do want to draw attention to this worthwhile course in what is otherwise an often mediocre product from the "Great Courses" company.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cruz
- 03-01-20
The over acting from the narrator was a shame
The shouts and screeches hurt my ears quite often. Besides the over acting and screeching loudly, I do recommend it, just be prepared to lower the volume whenever he starts acting out the opera.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Roger
- 12-10-21
Bravo, Verdi! Bravo, Greenberg!!
Greenberg‘s lectures on music from the Teaching Company are always golden. This in-depth dive into the life and operas of Verdi is one of his best. Greenberg is habit-forming for any concert music lover. Very highly recommended.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Brad Romney
- 04-25-21
Energetic, detailed review of Verdi's life and contributions
Beautifully detailed exposition on the story of Verdi's life, music, and contributions to society, locally, nationally, and to the entire world. Verdi's story is a powerful and inspiring journey from near poverty to wealth and notoriety.
I enjoyed the performance and yet found it at times overbearing.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MH
- 12-16-20
Verdi very much alive
Professor Greenberg breathes life into Verdi and his fellow sojourners, and brilliantly recreates Verdi’s works but does not overshadow their creator with the accolades that the passage of time accords to the famous. I never was able to appreciate Falstaff until now. Thank you Professor. I find fault at times with the professor’s sexual stereotype joking but nobody’s perfect, to quote Joey Brown. Professor Greenberg never bores me, which is great.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mike
- 07-23-20
Superb
Once again Professor Greenberg has given a superb summary;this time of the life and operas of Verdi.It is long and detailed,just as it should be.Bravo Robert Greenberg
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Zuzana
- 10-27-14
Comprehensive picture of music and society
Would you listen to The Life and Operas of Verdi again? Why?
Yes, I discover new enjoyable moments every time I listen to
Who was your favorite character and why?
Giuseppina Strapponi, a supporting wife
Have you listened to any of Professor Robert Greenberg’s other performances? How does this one compare?
Yes, for me as an enthusiastic but amateur listener this book helps to understand dimensions I did not access before
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No. You have to return to it from time to time. But this is worth to do it.
Any additional comments?
I can only recommend it to everybody.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- A
- 12-21-13
Elmer Fudd explains Verdi
What would have made The Life and Operas of Verdi better?
A narrator who did not belittle every opera he discusses by assuming the voices and characteristics of a Bugs Bunny cartoon. Some synopses may be problematic, but to adopt a pseudo-comic voice and kindergarten slang is unnecessary and inappropriate to a 'college-level' lecture series.
What will your next listen be?
Probably the Naxos Verdi audiobook, which, although shorter, will be unlikely to wallow in flippancy.
Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Professor Robert Greenberg?
Anybody else: maybe one of the narrators of the Modern Scholar series, who take their lectures seriously.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Life and Operas of Verdi?
Lengthy retelling of the story of each operas should be cut, with more college level musical information in its place (narrated properly, of course). Biographical information is fine as is, as are the musical extracts.
Any additional comments?
This could have really been a 'great course'. Pity.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Gregory
- 12-05-20
Disappointing
This could have been very good. Clearly Mr Greenberg knows the subject well and is enthusiastic about it. But he also has ambitions as a comedian and unfortunately he isn't a very good one. The silly voices he puts on when explaining the plots of the operas are painful to listen to and the facetious tone continually belittles the great works he is describing (even though he tells us over and over that he considers them to be great works). Also he could have taken a little more trouble to learn the correct pronunciation of the Italian words he pronounces. He continually gets the stress wrong; for example, the names Cesare, Modena and Foscari should all be stressed on the first, not the second syllable.
It's a pity, because without these irritating distractions the narrative is fascinating. The lectures, of course, contain wonderful excerpts of great music.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Rob Sedgwick
- 12-30-18
Not enough music
This is the third series I have listened too by Robert Greenberg and definitely the worst. There is far too much detail on some of the operas, especially Rigoletto and Falstaff where Greenberg spends literally hours just going through his spin on the story in his excited voice. There is very little music in these lectures, a lot lower percentage than there was in the other series. If there is not to be music I'd rather hear about Verdi's life than listen to a blow by blow account of the librettos.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gareth Newton-Williams
- 08-21-16
First class lecture series from Robert Greenberg
What did you like best about this story?
Verdi was quite the character and this series of lectures is an excellent introduction to both the significant experiences of his life, his professional relationships, and the development of his music.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Professor Greenberg wants us to get a sense of Verdi's personality and characteristics as a window to his music and his passion and sincerity lend colour and verve to these lectures. Dry this material is not!
Any additional comments?
Professor Greenburg's soapbox moments are a real highlight. Agree or disagree there's something about a passionate opinion, eloquently expressed, which captures the attention and rewards the listener. Bravo!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joseph Bertolini
- 11-06-19
Sensational
Breathtakingly informative and entertaining. Robert Greenberg is the ultimate communicator and leverages his unsurpassed erudition.
