Verdi in Politics

Abstract

Guiseppe Verdi, one of Italy's famous historical figures, was ironically born a Frenchman. At the time of his birth on October 9 or 10, 1813, Napoleon's administration controlled much of what we now call Italy. Napoleon had absorbed the greater part of six Italian provinces directly into France for easier administration. Parma, Verdi's hometown, was dominated by the French Government. One of the provinces was the former Duchy of Parma, where Verdi was born. Therefore he was technically born a Frenchman (Martin 4), which went against everything that he would eventually fight for, namely, Italy. It is striking and important that a man who would later help to form the definition of Italy was born into another nationality. Verdi used the deeply rooted tradition of opera as a method of sparking political conversation and explaining his own personal view. Namely, Verdi opposed foreign rule. He was an advocate of individual freedom and demanded that government provide for freedom. He expressed the conflicts between individual freedom and political rule in many guises throughout his career as a composer. Italy's political history was vital to Verdi's career. [From introductory section]