Giuseppe Verdi

Profession: Composer

Biography: Giuseppe Verdi was the dominant Italian composer of the 19th century. Born the same year as Richard Wagner, both composers created unique styles of opera that are still central to the opera repertory today. Verdi's works remain renown for their melodies and theatrical style.

Verdi's first success was with the opera "Nubucco" (1842), which began a period where he drove himself to produce two operas a year. Verdi's relationship and later marriage with the former singer Giuseppina Strepponi is thought to have inspired three of his classic operas "Rigoletto" (1851), Il trovatore (1853 and "La traviata" (1853), especially the character of the fallen woman Violetta .

Verdi then became internationally famous, producing operas for the Opéra at Paris such as "Don Carlos" (1867) and for overseas commissions such as "Aida" (1871) in Cairo.

In his later years Verdi was coaxed out of retirement to compose two classic operas, "Otello" (1887) for La Scala in Milan and his last opera "Falstaff" (1893) produced from a liberetto by Arrigo Boito.

Born: October 10, 1813
Birthplace: Parma, Italy
Star Sign: Libra

Died: January 27, 1901 (aged 87)
Cause of Death: Stroke