Verdi is revealed as an energetic, rigorous composer of tirelesscreativity, as a national hero, and as an upright, austere man much loved by hisfamily and friends.The first major biography of Verdi for a generation, Mary Jane Matz's new workstudies one of the greatest, the most successful, and the longest-lived of allcomposers. Nearly a century after his death, many of his operas remain in thestandard repertory, and some, such as Rigoletto, La Traviata, and Aida, areamong the most popular of all operas.Drawing on a wide range of sources, this is an authoritative account of a long,vigorous, and varied life. The author captures the s complexities involved inthe composition and production of Verdi's operas. She also explores hispossessive love for his home region and his tireless devotion to his farmlands,and examines Verid's professional and personal relationships, particularly withGuiseppina Strepponi, his mistress and later his wife. The first majorbiography of Verdi for a generation, this is a fitting study of a greatcomposer.

Mary Jane Phillips-Matz is co-founder and executive board member of the American Institute of Verdi Studies at New York University.