- Gable, David. “Mode Mixture and Lyric Form in the Operas of Giuseppe
Verdi.” Ph.D. diss., U. of Chicago, 1997. 2v. - Van, Gilles de. “La notion de tinta: Mémoire confuse et affinités thématiques
dans les opéras de Verdi.” RdM76 (1990): 187–198.
The concept of tintarefers to a sense of unity that emerges in a work when var-
ious elements are appropriately melded. Those elements may include motivic
affinities, melodic similarities, tonalities, and resemblances in orchestration.
Such associations are felt by the listener, but only analysis can disclose them.
Van illustrates his understanding of the concept by examining act 2, scene 2, of
La forza del destino.
Analysis: Instrumentation
- Harwood, Gregory W. “Verdi’s Reform of the Italian Opera Orchestra.”
19thCM10 (1986–1987): 108–134.
The development of Verdi’s ideas on size, balance, and seating arrangements
for the orchestra, in part influenced by practice at the Paris Opéra.
Analysis: Choral Writing
- Engelhardt, Markus. Die Chore in den frühen Opern Giuseppe Verdis.Würz-
burger musikhistorische Beiträge, 11. Tutzing: Schneider, 1988. 374p. ISBN
3-7952-0551-4. ML410 .V4 E49.
A publication of the author’s Ph.D. dissertation, U. of Wurzburg. It is a thor-
ough study of Verdi’s varied use of the chorus. Topics covered include function
of the choral number in the larger work, text and musical form, musical style,
and performance practice. Expansive index of names and titles.
Individual Works
Materials on each opera are grouped as follows: genesis and documents, analysis, and
performance history.
Aida
ASO 4 (1976; 1993), ENOG 2 (1980), Rororo (1985).
- Busch, Hans. Verdi’s “Aida”: The History of the Opera in Letters and Docu-
ments.Minneapolis: U. of Minnesota Press, 1978. lv, 688p. ISBN 0-8166-
0798-2. ML410 .V4 V312.
An impressive gathering of letters, contracts, sketches, stage directions, draw-
ings, and other documents, spanning 23 years. All materials are annotated and
unified into a result “as vivid and enthralling as a novel” (Julian Budden’s
review). Includes original production notes by Verdi, Giulio Ricordi, and
Franco Faccio. Bibliography of 250 items, expansive index to the letters, index
of names, titles, and topics.
1864.Genesi dell’ “Aida” con documentazione indedita. Ed. Saleh Abdoun.
Quaderni4 (1971): 1–189.
This issue of Quaderniobserved the centenary of Aida’s premiere with letters
and documents about the event and genesis of the opera. Material from the
348 Opera