Giuseppe VerdiGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; Italian:; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the modern province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the help of a local patron named Antonio Barezzi.
Arturo ToscaniniItalian conductor (1867–1957)Arturo Toscanini (; Italian:; March 25, 1867 – January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, Toscanini was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his eidetic memory. He was at various times the music director of La Scala in Milan and the New York Philharmonic.
La ScalaLa Scala (UK: , US: , Italian:; officially Teatro alla Scala, lit.'Theatre at the Scala') is a historic opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as il Nuovo Regio Ducale Teatro alla Scala (lit.'the New Royal Ducal Theatre at the Scala', which previously was a church). The premiere performance was Antonio Salieri's Europa riconosciuta.
Giacomo PucciniGiacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (22 December 1858 – 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Widely regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long line of composers, stemming from the late Baroque era.Spinto sopranoA spinto soprano is a type of operaticsoprano voice that has the limpidity and easy high notes of a lyric soprano, yet can be "pushed" on to achieve dramatic climaxes without strain. This type of voice may also possess a somewhat darker timbre than the average lyric. Spinto sopranos are also expected to handle dynamic changes in the music that they are performing with skill and poise. They command a vocal range extending from approximately low B (B3) to in alt D (D6).
Metropolitan OperaOpera company in New York CityMetropolitan Opera and Lincoln CenterThe Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred to colloquially as the Met, the company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager. The company's music director has been Yannick Nézet-Séguin since 2018.
VerismoVerismo (Italian for 'realism') in opera was a post-Romantic tradition of the late 19th to early 20th centuries associated with Italian composers like Pietro Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Umberto Giordano, Francesco Cilea and Giacomo Puccini. Verismo in opera had its origins in the Italian literary movement of the same name, which was in turn related to the international literary movement of naturalism practised by Émile Zola and others.
Riccardo MutiRiccardo Muti (Italian:; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He is the current music director of the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the Salzburg Whitsun Festival, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He was named music director emeritus in Chicago in 2023.
Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicSenior order of meritCommander's badge with a ribbon bowThe Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italian: Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second president of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
Teatro di San CarloThe Real Teatro di San Carlo ("Royal Theatre of Saint Charles"), as originally named by the Bourbon monarchy but today known simply as the Teatro (di) San Carlo, is a historic opera house in Naples, Italy, connected to the Royal Palace and adjacent to the Piazza del Plebiscito. It is the oldest continuously active venue for opera in the world, having opened in 1737, decades before either Milan's La Scala or Venice's La Fenice.
World War IIGlobal conflict from 1939 to 1945BelligerentsAlliesAxisCommanders and leadersMain Allied leaders: Joseph StalinFranklin D. RooseveltWinston ChurchillChiang Kai-shekMain Axis leaders: Adolf HitlerHirohitoBenito MussoliniCasualties and losses 60–75 million deaths (military and civilian) World War II, or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945), was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers.
American EnglishAmerican English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the most widely spoken language in the U.S., as well as the common language used in government, education, and commerce in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and in all U.S. territories except Puerto Rico. Since the late 20th century, American English has become the most influential form of English worldwide.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.