Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Tue 5th February 2013

The Gramophone guide to the best Verdi recordings

Giuseppe Verdi (picture: Tully Potter)

Introduction

Verdi was never a theoretician or academic, though he was quite able to write a perfectly poised fugue if he felt inclined. What makes him, with Puccini, the most popular of all opera composers is the ability to dream up glorious melodies with an innate understanding of the human voice, to express himself directly, to understand how the theatre works, and to score with technical brilliance, colour and originality. Read the full biography

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