大象传媒

Donald Macloed explores Verdi鈥檚 epic funeral in Milan, and explores what the city was really like in Verdi鈥檚 time.

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 Monday鈥檚 episode, Donald explores Verdi鈥檚 epic funeral in Milan, and explores what the city was really like in Verdi鈥檚 time, as he traces the composer鈥檚 first youthful experiences in the city, when he travelled there to study, amid an oppressive police presence which saw armed Austrian soldiers patrolling the streets.

Requiem - Sanctus
Anja Harteros, soprano
El墨na Garan膷a, mezzo
Jonas Kaufmann, tenor
Ren茅 Pape, bass
Orchestra e coro del Teatro alla Scala, Milan
Daniel Barenboim, conductor

Il Trovatore - Miserere
Anna Netrebko (Leonora), soprano
Rolando Villaz贸n (Manrico), tenor
Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Torino, Coro del Teatro Regio di Torino
Gianandrea Noseda, conductor

Io la Vidi (Scena lirica)
Luciano Pavarotti, tenor
Antonio Savastano, tenor
Teatro alla Scala
Claudio Abbado, conductor

Un Ballo in Maschera - Act 3 scene 2 & 3
Leontyne Price (Amelia), soprano
Carlo Bergonzi (Riccardo), tenor
Robert Merrill (Renato), baritone
Reri Grist (Oscar), soprano
Ezio Flagello (Samuel), bass
Ferruccio Mazzoli (Tom), bass
RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra & Chorus
Erich Leinsdorf, conductor

Sei Romanze 鈥� no. 1 鈥淣on t鈥檃ccostare all鈥檜rna鈥� & no. 6 鈥淒eh, piatoso, oh Addolorata鈥�
Ning Liang, mezzo-soprano
Cord Garben, piano

Producer: Sam Phillips