Giuseppe Verdi

Born near Busseto to a family of moderate means on 9 or 10 October 1813, Verdi got his musical education through the patronage of a local merchant, Antonio Barezzi. He rose to dominate Italian opera after the era of Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti, absorbing their influence while drawing on French grand opera. His early works, particularly the chorus "Va, pensiero" from Nabucco (1842), aligned him with the Risorgimento's push for Italian unification - he briefly served as an elected politician, though he remained intensely private and never courted popular movements. As success came, he scaled back his output and bought land in his native region, but the middle period delivered three peaks in quick succession: Rigoletto (1851), Il trovatore, and La traviata (both 1853). After Aida (1871) he shocked the musical world by returning with three late masterpieces - his Requiem (1874), then Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893). He died 27 January 1901, leaving a repertoire that still dominates the world's opera houses.