August 2013
The Enterprise of Opera
The German media company Bertelsmann, owner of the famous Archivio Storico Ricordi, and Ricordi & C. staged an exhibition-event dedicated to the world famous Italian composer.
The exhibition investigated the professional and personal relationship between Verdi and two key-personalities of the cultural panorama of the time: the librettist Arrigo Boito and Giulio Ricordi, Verdi’s publisher and principal maker of his international success.
The exhibition focused on Verdi’s last two operas; the dramatic masterpiece Otello (1887) and the immortal comedy Falstaff (1893). Their development is superbly documented in the Archivio Storico Ricordi. Focusing on the three personalities of Verdi, Boito and Ricordi, the creative process of the making of these two operas is mapped using an original score, manuscript correspondence, stage sets, costume designs, photographs, and further unique exhibits from the Archivio Storico Ricordi.
The exhibition provided fascinating insights into the world of Giuseppe Verdi: a highlight and treasure trove not only for professionals or those who are already opera enthusiasts, but for everyone with a love for music and an interest for its history.
The exhibition has been exposed at the following locations:
Berlino
Bertelsmann Representative Office
30 August – 15 September 2013 (prolonged until 22 September)
Gütersloh
8 – 21 October 2013
Milano
Palazzo Moriggia – Museo del Risorgimento
7 November – 9 December 2013
Bruxelles
8 – 23 May 2014 (prolonged until June 1st)
Vicenza
9-21 October 2018