大象传媒

Donald Macleod sees Verdi make his mark on Milan with his first real operatic success at La Scala, and a work which would make his name throughout Italy.

As the hearse carrying the coffin of the composer Giuseppe Verdi travelled through Milan, more than half of the city鈥檚 population lined the streets to pay their respects and catch a final glimpse of their hero. Few musicians have made such an indelible impression on the population of a country, or become so linked to a nation's sense of identity. Fewer still have become as ingrained in the fabric of a city as Verdi is in Milan. Today, as well as a statue to the composer, both the Conservatoire and a major theatre are named after him. So how was this relationship, between the city of Milan and Verdi forged? After all, this was a man born in Le Roncole, which was then French territory, and yet he would rise to become the most successful Italian composer of his generation. Over the course of this week, Donald Macleod explores the twists and turns of Verdi鈥檚 relationship with Milan -where Verdi would see his first iconic successes, and where he would breathe his last, but also a city where, for a time, he tried to ban performances of his music.

In Wednesday鈥檚 episode, Donald sees Verdi making his mark on Milan with his first real operatic triumph at La Scala - Nabucco. The work鈥檚 wild popularity would make his name throughout Italy, and its music would go on to become the symbol of the Italian Risorgimento. It set Verdi up for nation-wide success, with performances in, and commissions from, other opera houses in Italy and throughout Europe. But as Verdi labours under increasing pressure to write more and more works and replicate Nabucco鈥檚 acclaim, he becomes desperately overworked and is forced to take on an assistant.

La Battaglia di Legnano - Cavatina 鈥淟a pia materna mano鈥�
Andrew Richards (Arrigo), tenor
Trieste Teatro Giuseppe Verdi Orchestra
Boris Brott, conductor

Nabucco - 鈥淰a, pensiero, sull鈥檃li dorate鈥�
Deutsche Oper Berlin
Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin
Giuseppe Sinopoli, conductor

Nabucco 鈥� Overture
Filarmonica della Scala
Riccardo Chailly, conductor

I Lombardi alla prima crociata 鈥� 鈥淥h belle, a questa misera鈥�; 鈥淨ual volutt脿 trascorrere鈥�; 鈥淨ual prodigio鈥�; 鈥淥 signore, dal tetto natio鈥�
Pl谩cido Domingo (Oronte), tenor
Cristina Deutekom (Giselda), soprano
Ruggero Raimondi (Pagano/hermit), bass
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Ambrosian Singers
Lamberto Gardelli, conductor

Ernani 鈥� 鈥淓rnani Involami鈥�
Aleksandra Kurzak (Elvira), soprano
Morphing Chamber Orchestra
Fr茅d茅ric Chaslin, conductor

I due foscari 鈥� 鈥淪i lo sento, iddio mi chiama鈥�
Luciano Pavarotti (Jacopo), tenor
Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala
Claudio Abbado, conductor

Producer: Sam Phillips