pointing array in the New Grovestyle: articles unpaginated, authors identified
by initials instead of full names, and lack of publishers for book entries. Name,
title, and topic indexes.- Parker, Roger. Studies in Early Verdi (1832–1844): New Information and Per-
spectives on the Milanese Musical Milieu, and the Operas from “Oberto” to
“Ernani.”Outstanding Dissertations in Music from British Universities. New
York: Garland, 1989. 232p. ISBN 0-8240-2020-0. ML410 .V4 P157.
The Oberto discussion examines Verdi’s autograph score. Other topics include
the libretto of Un giorno di regno, the early performance history of Nabucco,
and the influence of singers in I lombardi. An extract is cited under Ernani
(#1878).
See also Gerhard (#2272).
Libretti
- Lavagetto, Mario. Quei più modesti romanzi: Il libretto nel melodramma di
Verdi.Milan: Garzanti, 1979. 205p. ML410 .V4 L33.
The texts are examined from many viewpoints: dramaturgy, characterization,
plot structure, and linguistic/prosodic elements. Various librettists are dis-
cussed and compared. Bibliography, no index. - Parker, Roger. “On Reading Nineteenth-Century Opera: Verdi through the
Looking Glass.” In Reading Opera(#218), 288–305.
Observes that “we can espouse no ‘ideal’ way in which words and music will
make drama together, and that we should be careful not to approach the issue
with unconscious or a prioriassumptions, to see things in terms of ‘improve-
ment’ from one composer, period, or national school to another.” Neverthe-
less, comparisons will have their way, and Parker does see Verdi as losing
creative energy as he moved from the traditional libretto. Boito’s skillful texts
sustained the composer then and refueled his creativity. - Van, Gilles de. Verdi’s Theater: Creating Drama through Music.Trans. Gilda
Roberts. Chicago: U. of Chicago Press, 1998. x, 424p. ISBN 0-226-14369-14.
ML410 .V4 V26.
Originally Verdi: Un théâtre en musique (Paris: Fayard, 1992). A useful
account of Verdi’s developing ideas about dramaturgy. His work is compared
with that of his contemporaries. The way his libretti took shape is closely ana-
lyzed. Name and title indexes.
Production and Reception
- Martin, George. Verdi at the Golden Gate: Opera and San Francisco in the
Gold Rush Years.Berkeley: U. of California Press, 1993. xxii, 321p. ISBN 0-
520-08123-4 ML1711.8 .S2 M37.
Eight Verdi operas were staged in San Francisco in the 1850s, gaining favor-
able reactions. This is a detailed account of the reception, in the context of
operatic life on the West Coast. Much information is included about theatrical
Giuseppe Verdi 343