Composer of the Week - Giuseppe Verdi - Episode 3

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) Donald Macleod looks at some of the personalities who were instrumental in helping Verdi achieve success. 3/5. Francesco Maria Piave The librettist Francesco Maria Piave worked with Verdi for more than 20 years, and together they were responsible for some of Verdi's biggest hits and also some of his more memorable flops. Verdi regarded Piave as a good friend, but that did not stop him from accusing Piave of being long winded, criticising him and, in the case of Macbeth, sending the work straight to another writer and translator, Andrea Maffei, for further work. Stornello Margaret Price (soprano) Geoffrey Parsons (piano) Mio padre...Dio Mia Gilda...Si vendetta, tremenda vendetta (Rigoletto, Act 2) Renato Bruson (baritone) Andrea Rost (soprano) Ernesto Gavazzi (tenor) Silvestro Sammaritano, Antonio de Gobbi (bass) Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Riccardo Muti (conductor) Vegliammo invan due notti...Ella e morta! (Macbeth, Act 4) Shirley Verrett (soprano) Piero Cappuccilli (baritone) Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Claudio Abbado (conductor) Overture (La forza del destino) Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Riccardo Muti (conductor).