h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Absolutely brilliant.

I would have liked some mention of Stiffelio. Not because it's a particularly well known work, but because he rehashed it twice and used it as the basis for other opera. Er, you're going to ask me which, aren't you? Can't remember, have to consult Kobbe.

Also, it might have been worth mentioning that the crowd at Verdi's funeral spontaneously started singing Va Pensiero, such was the strong identification with that work.

Thanks , Manolan!

I feel rather guilty about the length of the entry as it is - the new offical length guidelines were added while this was doing the rounds of sub-editors and Editors, and I have a sneaking feeling that I helped to inspire the new guidelines!

Verdi really did quite a lot of re-hashing, didn't he - there was I lombardi/Jerusalem as well as Stiffelio/Aroldo, and fairly serious revisions of Macbeth, Simon Boccanegra, La Forza del destino, and Don Carlos/Don Carlo. I had to draw the line somewhere!

And I did mention the singing of 'Va pensiero' at his funeral... though I admit I was concentrating on phrasing things so that I didn't have to explain that the crowds were at his second funeral, since he'd been temporarily buried somewhere else.


Azara

"And I did mention the singing of 'Va pensiero' at his funeral"

So you did! How did I miss that first time round?! I've always imagined that must have been an extraordinary and emotional occasion.

The thing about Stiffelio/Aroldo is quite how close they really are (so I'm told as I'm frankly not that musical and have only heard either of them once)! I'm fairly certain he used the same themes yet again elsewhere, I just can't place it. Somehow I'm less surprised by the major revisions, though it does create something of a dilemma for the part-time opera-goer like myself, as 'rediscovery' is all the rage.

>How did I miss that first time round?!

that just proves that the entry was too long!

>I've always imagined that must have been an extraordinary and emotional occasion.

Modern Italians still sing it with such depth of feeling....I can't even begin to imagine how emotional that occasion must have been.

One reason I didn't say anything about Stiffelio/Aroldo is that I don't know either of them very well.

Something that fascinated me researching this ( and which I hope I managed to get across, to some extent!) was the influence of the different opera houses on Verdi's work. It seems to have been dissatisfaction at the premieres in places like that Paris Opera that prompted the biggest revisions, while his reconciliation with La Scala seems to be part of the reason that Otello and Falstaff never needed any tinkering.

Azara