The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-02-21
VERDI AND HIS OPERAS.
The Choral Society to Present His Man
zoui Requiem.

The Choral Society has announced for
its second concert the 'Manzoni Requiem"
of Giuseppe Verdi, to be given on the
evening of February Is next at the Con-
gregational Church. d work which owing
TO its great difficulty. is rarely If ever
heard in chul ches, although strictly a
requiem mass. and one the only adverse
criticism on which has been that il is
hardly a mass. but rather an opera in &c
clesiasticaI costume. This dramatic char
acter, by the way, renders the work all
the more adapted for public presentation
on the concert stage. and as a conse-
quence it has been rendered in this coun-
try by many of our leading choral So
cieties. Verdi was pre-eminently a writer
of operas, the last of which. "Otello."
was composed in his seventy-third year.
Aida ne had written some fifteen years
before, ana IN the interval between them
he wrote the "ManZoni REQUIEM. a
Pater NOSter." and an Ave Maria "
verdi has also written a few marches
snort symphonies, a stringed quartet,
otapat Mater and other minor works. but
20 the music-loving world his name will
be forever associated with Italian opera
of the best type and will recall "Ernani -
"Riggoletto," III Trovatore" and Aida"
10 our minds as probably his greatest
masterpieces.
Born at Roncole. October 9. 1873. Verdi
like many another musician sprang from
humble parents. He was appointed or
ganist at the village of Brussels at the
early age OF ten. near which village ne
now lives out his declining years In the
quiet life OF country gentleman upon his
large estates. Through the generosity of
his patron he was sent TO Milan where
ne studied composition and orchestration
with LaYlgne, and five years later re-
turned TO Milan, where he began his won
derfully successful career as an operate
composer His first opera, "Oberto - an
pe&red IN 1883. and was followed BY A
series of operate works that have
achieved worldwide success and placed
their composer at the head OF all contem-
porary Italian writer's. The most i'm
portsnt OF these operas. not already re-
"Attila," Macbeth" Il Nasuadieri -
''Luisa Miller" La Traviata." .Srba
Sicilian Vespers.' The Masked Rail ("
The Force OF Destiny" and ''Don car
los ana number OF others of lesser
merit In place Of the amOrous sent
mental, and brilliant music Of RelIini
Rosslni, and others, Verdi has sought 10
substitute work OF a manlier type. char
acterlzed by energy ana grandeur He
has been overwhelmed with decorstions
and honOrs. but has studiously AVOIDED
public life and the turmoil OF the world
In ky. at the outset Of his career no
married the daughter Of his benefactor.
who died within a few wears greatI,y
lamented. In his later years ne married
his second wife. Giuseppina Strepponi a
noted singer OF Genoa Elected in IS5s a
member OF the National Assembly OF
Parma, IN l81l ne became a member Of
the Italian Chamber of Deputies and In
1874 was named by Victor Emanuel a
member or the Senate. In Iss he was
CHOSEN a corresponding member OF the
Paris Academy OF Fine Arts. ana IN IssI
succe-l-d Meyerbeer as associate, but In
these latter years stunning an n1bi civ
and az ths ripe old age Of eighty-six. he
calmly awaits the end with the ssffsfse-
uon o. MES work well accomplished.