A First Book of Verdi: For the Beginning Pianist with Downloadable Mp3s

Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi dominated the opera world for most of the nineteenth century, and his works remain a mainstay of theaters around the world. From Rigoletto’s sprightly ＂La donna é mobile＂ to the rousing ＂Anvil Chorus＂ of Il Trovatore, the composer’s music is known and loved by people who never set foot in an opera house. Now novice keyboardists of all ages can play selections from Verdi’s most popular works with these special arrangements of 32 pieces.
Highlights include the charming aria ＂Heavenly Aida＂ from the opera set in Egypt during the reign of the pharaohs; Nabucco’s ＂Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves,＂ also known as ＂Va, pensiero＂ (＂Hasten, Thoughts＂); the Prelude to Act III of La Traviata; the opening of Requiem, Verdi’s setting of the Catholic Mass for the Dead; plus selections from Macbeth, Otello, Jerusalem, and other operas. Each selection features a brief introduction, and all the compositions are available as downloadable MP3s (see inside for details).

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) ranked among opera’s preeminent composers by the time he was 30. His works were embraced by Italian patriots seeking to unify their country and free it from foreign control; Verdi was active in the political world and elected to the first Italian parliament. Today his operas are staged around the world, and all of them are available in a number of recorded versions.
Former Dover editor David Dutkanicz holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music, New York University, and Columbia University. He is the editor of several books in this series.