Verdi and the French Aesthetic : Verse, Stanza, and Melody in Nineteenth-Century Opera

Focusing on Verdi's French operas, Giger shows how the composer acquired an ever better understanding of the various approaches to French versification while gradually bringing his works in line with French melodic aesthetic. In his first French opera, Jérusalem, Verdi treated the text in an overly cautious manner, trying to avoid prosodic mistakes; in Les Vêpres siciliennes he began to apply more freedom, scanning the verses against some prosodic accents to convey the lightheartedness of a melody; and in Don Carlos he finally drew on the entire palette of prosodic interpretations. Most of Verdi's melodic accomplishments in the French operas carried over into the subsequent Italian ones, setting the stage for what later would be called operatic verismo. Drawing attention to the significance of the libretto for the development of nineteenth-century French and Italian opera, this text illustrates Verdi's gradual mastery of the challenges he faced, and their historical significance. Focusing on Verdi's French operas, Giger shows how the composer acquired an ever better understanding of the various approaches to French versification while gradually bringing his works in line with French melodic aesthetic. In his first French opera, Jérusalem, Verdi treated the text in an overly cautious manner, trying to avoid prosodic mistakes; in Les Vêpres siciliennes he began to apply more freedom, scanning the verses against some prosodic accents to convey the lightheartedness of a melody; and in Don Carlos he finally drew on the entire palette of prosodic interpretations. Most of Verdi's melodic accomplishments in the French operas carried over into the subsequent Italian ones, setting the stage for what later would be called operatic verismo. Drawing attention to the significance of the libretto for the development of nineteenth-century French and Italian opera, Giger illustrates Verdi's gradual mastery of the challenges he faced, and their historical significance. "Focusing on Verdi's French operas, Andreas Giger shows how the composer acquired an ever better understanding of the various approaches to French versification while gradually bringing his works in line with French melodic aesthetic. Drawing attention to the significance of the operatic libretto for the stylistic and dramatic development of nineteenth-century French and Italian opera, this book illustrates Verdi's gradual mastery of the challenges he faced and their historical significance."--Jacket Versification And Melodic Aesthetics. Rhythm And Stanza In French And Italian Librettos ; French And Italian Melodic Aesthetics And Practice Ca. 1830-1870 ; Episode: Design, Middleground Rhythm, And Phrase -- French Melody In Verdi's Operas. Jérusalem And Its Influence On The Subsequent Italian Operas ; Les Vêpres Siciliennes And Its Influence On The Subsequent Italian Operas ; Don Carlos And After. Andreas Giger. Includes Bibliographical References (p, [271]-286) And Index. Part I. Versification and melodic aesthetics ; Rhythm and stanza in French and Italian librettos ; French and Italian melodic aesthetics and practice ca. 1830-70 ; Episode: Design, middleground rhythm, and phrase Part II. French melody in Verdi's operas ; Jérusalem and its influence on the subsequent Italian operas ; Les Vêpres siciliennes and its influence on the subsequent Italian operas ; Don Carlos and after Appendix: Significant theoretic and aesthetic texts. When an Italian composer such as Giuseppe Verdi set out to write a work on French libretto, and for a French audience, he faced the challenges of understanding French poetic rhythms and adapting to French taste. This book illustrates Verdi's gradual mastery of these challenges and their historical significance.