作曲家威爾第簡介:

朱瑟貝 威爾第，出生於1813年10月10日位於義大利北部一個叫隆科的村莊。1823年，威爾第搬遷到義大利北部布塞托，並申請進入當時由安東尼奧普維賽所辦的音樂學校 ;他的第一齣歌劇-奧貝托【Oberto】，於1839 年11月在斯卡拉劇院上演，義大利的音樂出版商黎科迪對威爾第的才華非常欣賞，並與他簽下三部歌劇的合約，接下來五十年間，威爾第譜寫了將近三十部歌劇之多。

威爾第之於義大利歌劇的重要性，相當於華格納之於德國音樂;他不但為義大利歌劇注入全新的活力，更致力於統合這塊在拿破崙時代落後被歐洲列強瓜分的土地。1850年間，義大利人民感謝他的努力，稱頌他的音樂之際，更用Vittorio Emmanuele，Re d´Italia，意即義大利勝利之王來稱呼這位偉人 !

為了讓自己的歌劇達到雅俗共賞，威爾第在譜寫時大量使用莫札特、華格納和普契尼等人的音樂，並多達十二部的歌劇中使用回憶性的主題，目的是在於其音樂的聯慣性和劇情的張力。

威爾第的歌劇一如他本人的個性:樸拙卻寫實。劇中對感情的描寫一如現實生活，如愛情.羨妒.爭風吃醋.忠貞和憎恨等描寫得入目三分。憑著如此寫實的寫作手法，每位演員在揣摩角色時都能更輕易地抓到其定位，更會因移情作用，將自身代入劇中角色.使得演出更加完美。威爾第早期的歌劇被認為是叫接近人性寫實與黑暗面的戲劇。 

Liberal Nationalism

Liberal nationalism, as for instance associated with the Italian leader Giuseppe Mazzini, sought to establish liberal states based on the a "nation".   Nationalists always assumed that their "nation" existed in some "natural" way. In practice the leaders had to work hard to create a national sense, usually by emphazing common culture, and by focusing on some oppressive external force.

Italy: Guiseppe Verdi (1813-1901): "Va, pensiero" (Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves) from Nabucco 1842

The "Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves", (Va Pensiero), from Verdi's opera Nabucco (1842) attained great political significance. Va Pensiero became the Italians' song of liberation, for, in the oppressed Hebrews, they found a symbol of their own longing for reunification with Lombardy, which was occupied by Austria. The unison chorus (one of the few da capo choruses in all opera) became the underground "national hymn". And the composer's name became V.E.R.D.I, a slogan meaning Vittorio Emmanuale Rei de Italia ("Victor Emmanual, King of Italy") - a reference to the sole native dynasty in Italy and the focus of nationalist hopes for unity.

• Giuseppe Verdi: Va Pensiero, from Nabucco M  [RA]