The Life and Music of Giuseppe Verdi (1953)
"Giuseppe Verdi" (original title)

The great Italian opera composer recalls his eventful life on his deathbed: his childhood in Busseto, his studies in Milan, his first opera "Oberto, conte di San Bonifacio", the death of ... See full summary »

Director:

Raffaello Matarazzo

Writers:

Leonardo Benvenuti, Liana Ferri,

Stars:

Pierre Cressoy, Anna Maria Ferrero, Gaby André

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Pierre Cressoy	...	Giuseppe Verdi
Anna Maria Ferrero	...	Margherita Barezzi Verdi
Gaby André	...	Giuseppina Strepponi
Sandro Ruffini	...	Impr. Marelli
Camillo Pilotto	...	Antonio Barezzi
Laura Gore	...	Berberina Streppono
Loris Gizzi	...	Gioacchino Rossini
Emilio Cigoli	...	Gaetano Donizetti
Irene Genna	...	Violetta
Mario Del Monaco	...	tenore - Francesco Tamagno
Tito Gobbi	...	Singer - baritone

Storyline

The great Italian opera composer recalls his eventful life on his deathbed: his childhood in Busseto, his studies in Milan, his first opera "Oberto, conte di San Bonifacio", the death of his wife and his children killed by smallpox.

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Plot Keywords:

opera | composer | musician | italy | italian music

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

1 May 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Life and Music of Giuseppe Verdi

Company Credits

Production Co:

Consorzio Verdi, G.E.S.I. Cinematografica, PAT Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min 105 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Ferraniacolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Due to a chemical defect of Ferraniacolor, no copy in color of this film has survived. Only black and white copies of the film can been seen.

User Reviews

Not that bad, not that good.

That is, in the areas that the previous commentator indicated. I found no fault with the direction or production values, but the storyline itself, made me wonder about the authenticity of this "biography" - it was far too soap-operatic - no pun intended, to ring true to me. I'm a fan of filmed opera, (tho I can't stand it in theatre, or radio form, nor do I rate highly Verdi's own music, which I consider schmaltzy), and I really enjoyed watching this movie, way past my bedtime. I do agree that Gobbi, and del Monaco were great in voice, and presence. Highly recommended.