Giuseppe Verdi 200 -- October 10, 2013

The greatest opera composer of them all, Giuseppe Verdi, was born on 10-October-1813 in Le Roncole in the Emilia-Romagna region.  The village is now called Roncole Verdi.  At the time the Parma region was controlled by the French.  Verdi studied composition and began to write operas.  He broke many rules, he wrote many beautiful melodies and he payed unusually close attention to the libretti.  Many of his works, including Rigoletto, Otello and Il Trovatore, are basic items in the repertory of almost every opera company.  His music is often thought of as the theme music of the Risorgimento, the Italian movement for freedom and unity.