Verdi legge Verdi

An opportunity to listen to the most beautiful works of Giuseppe Verdi—from La traviata to Aida, and Nabucco to Falstaff—recounted through the authentic thoughts and words of one of Italy’s greatest composers. This performance of music, prose, and song brings Verdi’s life to the stage as if it were a novel.
Massimiliano Finazzer Flory, accompanied by Asako Watanabe on the piano and soprano Elisa Maffi, personifies Verdi through extraordinary stage makeup. Together, they reveal the many facets of a shy yet generous artist who shied away from public honors. It is the story (and the profound ethical lesson) of Verdi the man, alongside the existential and professional milestones of a visionary and tormented artist, presented in all their modern-day relevance and universality.
Finazzer Flory restores the portrait of Verdi through various chapters of his life: His family origins and his first spinet. His early training and the Conservatory years. His relationship with Wagner and librettists such as Arrigo Boito. The narrative is completed by Verdi’s own perspectives on art, theater, and music, as well as behind-the-scenes glimpses, controversies, and his personal truths regarding Otello, Macbeth, and Falstaff. Finally, the performance explores his deep connection with nature, his favorite novels, and his last will and testament.