Verdi in postwar italian cinema

Abstract

As a composer of operas, Verdi was well positioned to become a political figure. The opera was a center of social life in nineteenth-century Italy. The opera house provided a meeting place, and although they didn’t mix, all classes of soci­ ety were theoretically able to participate in the social interaction it afforded. At times of political unrest, the authorities became very conscious of the potential for the opera house to become a forum for revolutionary tendencies. A diverse crowd with diverse opinions exposed to powerful music and drama: this combi­ nation fostered the development of Verdis political reputation. Show more