- Gossett, Philip. Review of Charles Osborne, Letters of Giuseppe Verdi. MQ
59–4 (1973): 633–639.
Criticizes the Osborne translation of the copialettere,citing “an enormous
number of errors in translations and commentary.” “Blatantly false transla-
tions abound in large measure, and Osborne seems unaware of even the most
accessible Verdi literature.” - Conati, Marcello.Encounters with Verdi. Trans. Richard Stokes. Ithaca, N.Y.:
Cornell U.P., 1984. 417p. ISBN 0-575-03349-5. ML410 .V4 I753.
Originally Interviste e incontri con Verdi(Milan: Emme, 1981). Published also
as Interviews and Encounters with Verdi(London: Gollancz, 1984). Consists
of 50 contributions by authors from various countries, narrating visits and
meetings with the master. Footnotes, bibliography of about 250 items, index
of names and titles.
Biographies
- Baldini, Gabriele. The Story of Giuseppe Verdi: “Oberto” to “Un ballo in
maschera.”Trans. and ed. Roger Parker. New York: Cambridge U.P., 1980.
xx, 296p. ISBN 0-521-22911-1. ML410 .V48 B1363.
Originally Abitare la battaglia: La storia di Giuseppe Verdi(ed. Fedele D’Amico;
Milan: Garzanti, 1970). A biographical account interwoven with discussions
of the operas, mostly from a literary point of view. Parker adds a useful preface
and reference footnotes. - Budden, Julian. Verdi.Rev. ed. London: Dent, 1993. xi, 404p. ISBN 0-460-
86111-5. Reprint, New York: Schirmer, 1996. ISBN 0-02-864616-9. ML410
.V4 B9.
First edition, 1985. A useful life and works, including a chronology, worklist,
biographical dictionary of friends and associates, bibliography, and name
index. - Kimbell, David R. B. Verdi in the Age of Italian Romanticism.New York:
Cambridge U.P., 1981. ix, 703p. ISBN 0-521-23052-7. ML410 .V4 K5.
A valuable account of the cultural and political scene into the 1850s and
Verdi’s relationship to it. Genesis and analysis of the early operas (from
Oberto,1839, to La traviata,1853) in that romantic context; attention to cen-
sorship and business aspects. Backnotes, musical examples, and many docu-
ments. Also sections on the arias, ensembles, recitatives, orchestration, and so
on. Weak bibliography: important items are missing, and incomplete data are
given for the 100 or so entries. Expansive index of names, topics, and titles. - Mila, Massimo. La giovinezza di Verdi.2nd ed. Musica e musicisti, 1. Turin:
ERI, 1978. 541p. ML410 .V48 M59.
First edition, 1958. A valuable account of Verdi’s life and works to 1853. Biog-
raphy and analyses of the operas are interwoven. Detailed worklist, indexes of
names and titles.
Giuseppe Verdi 341