# Verdi's galley years.................



## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Which of these many operas is/are your favorite/s?
And why?

Pick up to 3


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Hard to choose but ...

1. Macbeth
2. Attila
3. Ernani


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Attila
Giovanna d'Arco
Alzira


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Un Giorno di Regno


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Not really into them. I start at Rigoletto.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Itullian said:


> Which of these many operas is/are your favorite/s?
> And why?
> 
> _*You don't have to limit it to 3*_


Ah. OK. :devil:



sospiro said:


> Hard to choose but ...
> 
> 1. Macbeth
> 2. Attila
> 3. Ernani


Il corsaro 
La battaglia di Legnano 
Un giorno di Regno 
Luisa Miller


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

Un Ballo in Maschera 
Simon Boccanegra (1857, rev. 1881)
La Traviata


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

sospiro said:


> Ah. OK. :devil:
> 
> Il corsaro
> La battaglia di Legnano
> ...


Hey, Wait a minute :lol:


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

dholling said:


> Un Ballo in Maschera
> Simon Boccanegra (1857, rev. 1881)
> La Traviata


Galley years!!!


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

Itullian said:


> Galley years!!!


Un momento por favor. I thought the Galley years are from 1842-1858 (at least according to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giusep...s.22:_operas_from_Luisa_Miller_to_La_traviata)


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

dholling said:


> Un momento por favor. I thought the Galley years are from 1842-1858 (at least according to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giusep...s.22:_operas_from_Luisa_Miller_to_La_traviata)


It is a bit confusing. But I meant the operas up until Rigoletto, which started his middle period.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)




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## DarkAngel (Aug 11, 2010)

Itullian said:


> Un Giorno di Regno


We both love this delightful sparkling romantic comedy with plenty of vocal bel canto highlights, how ironic that is was so poorly received upon its debut that Verdi seriously consider another profession.

Many of the early operas have few studio recordings or videos, thankfully the Gardelli CD series and the recent Tutto Verdi small stage video opera set give us another reason to explore these early operas, the wonderful music and exciting bel canto singing style are definitely for me......

 

MacBeth is my favorite early opera pre-Rigoletto, dominated by the towering demanding Lady M character.....

what a tour de force this can be with the right singer as she guides her weak willed husband to do whatever it takes to assume the throne, the plan all laid out in the stunning unforgettable opening aria sequence "Vieni t'affretta...Or tutti sorgete"

*MacBeth*
Ernani
Nabucco

******************

Luisa Miller
Atilla
Joan of Arc
Corsaro
Lombardi
Foscari


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

dholling said:


> Un momento por favor. I thought the Galley years are from 1842-1858 (at least according to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giusep...s.22:_operas_from_Luisa_Miller_to_La_traviata)


'It was toward the end of this "Middle period" of turmoil-when Verdi had returned to Sant'Agata-that he was to describe the previous sixteen years of his composing life: in a letter to Countess Clara Maffei, he stated: "From Nabucco, you may say, I have never had one hour of peace. Sixteen years in the galleys!"'

Interesting that if this is so then his "galley years" include three operas - Rigoletto, Trovatore and Traviata - that most people would reckon outdo the operas in his middle years. What happened to the inspiration in the middle years?


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

1. Luisa Miller
2. I due Foscari
3. Ernani
4. Nabucco
5. Attila
6. Macbeth
7. I Lombardi alla prima crociata
8. Stiffelio
9. Giovanna d'Arco
10. I masnadieri
11. Alzira
12. Il corsaro
13. La batagglia di Legnano
14. Oberto
15. Un giorno di regno


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

1) MacBeth
2) Nabucco
3) Attila


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

1. Nabucco
2. Attila
3. Macbeth


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Personally, I find it hard to choose just three, but the strongest surely must be

Macbeth
Stiffelio (written just before *Rigoletto* and only fairly recently re-discovered)
La Battaglia di Legnano.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

DavidA said:


> 'It was toward the end of this "Middle period" of turmoil-when Verdi had returned to Sant'Agata-that he was to describe the previous sixteen years of his composing life: in a letter to Countess Clara Maffei, he stated: "From Nabucco, you may say, I have never had one hour of peace. Sixteen years in the galleys!"'
> 
> Interesting that if this is so then his "galley years" include three operas - Rigoletto, Trovatore and Traviata - that most people would reckon outdo the operas in his middle years. What happened to the inspiration in the middle years?


But the eminent scholar, Julien Budden, and in fact most other Verdi scholars, start the middle period with *Rigoletto*. Verdi was at last able to make demands and was less at the mercy of impresarios and opera house directors, much more in a position to state his terms. The problems he had with *Rigoletto* were with the censors, problems that were to continue to beset him throughout his middle period.

*Stiffelio*, which also fell foul of the censor, is the real transitional work, and is a really excellent piece. It languished for many years, because Verdi re-fashioned it as *Aroldo*, and in fact the autograph only emerged _after_ the excellent Philips recording. Some of the new music for *Aroldo* improves on what it replaced, but the original has an integrity that the later opera somewhat lacks.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

GregMitchell said:


> Personally, I find it hard to choose just three, but the strongest surely must be
> 
> Macbeth
> Stiffelio (written just before *Rigoletto* and only fairly recently re-discovered)
> La Battaglia di Legnano.


And as an 'ancillary' to that, I'd have to add: _Macbeth_ with Callas, _Stiffelio_ with Sass, and _Battaglia_ with Ricciarelli- where every singer gives the most psychologically-searching and technically-thrilling performance I've come across.


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

Itullian said:


> It is a bit confusing. But I meant the operas up until Rigoletto, which started his middle period.


I see. Thanks for clarifying.
Now I'm out of luck.


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

DavidA said:


> 'It was toward the end of this "Middle period" of turmoil-when Verdi had returned to Sant'Agata-that he was to describe the previous sixteen years of his composing life: in a letter to Countess Clara Maffei, he stated: "From Nabucco, you may say, I have never had one hour of peace. Sixteen years in the galleys!"'
> 
> Interesting that if this is so then his "galley years" include three operas - Rigoletto, Trovatore and Traviata - that most people would reckon outdo the operas in his middle years. What happened to the inspiration in the middle years?


Thank you David. I wondered the same thing.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

dholling said:


> Thank you David. I wondered the same thing.


What happened to the inspiration of the middle years, well what happened was *Un Ballo in Maschera*, *Simon Boccanegra*, *La Forza del Destino*,*Don Carlo* and *Aida*.

*Les Vepres Siciliennes* was probably a disappointment after *La Traviata*, but that probably had as much to do with the circumstances of its composition as anything else.


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

GregMitchell said:


> What happened to the inspiration of the middle years, well what happened was *Un Ballo in Maschera*, *Simon Boccanegra*, *La Forza del Destino*,*Don Carlo* and *Aida*.
> 
> *Les Vepres Siciliennes* was probably a disappointment after *La Traviata*, but that probably had as much to do with the circumstances of its composition as anything else.


I understand (and I yield, for I cannot possibly argue with you on such a valid point). Thank you.


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