David Dutkanicz

A First Book of Verdi

Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi dominated the opera world for most of the nineteenth century, and his works remain a mainstay of theaters around the world. From Rigoletto's sprightly La donna é mobile to the rousing Anvil Chorus of Il Trovatore, the composer's music is known and loved by people who never set foot in an opera house. Now novice keyboardists of all ages can play selections from Verdi's most popular works with these special arrangements of 32 pieces. Highlights include the charming aria Heavenly Aida from the opera set in Egypt during the reign of the pharaohs: Nabucco's Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves, also known as Va, pensiero (Hasten, Thoughts): the Prelude to Act IIIof La Traviata: the opening of Requiem, Verdi's setting of the Catholic Mass for the Dead: plus selections from Macbeth, Otello, Jerusalem, and other operas. Each selection features a brief introduction, and all the compositions are available as downloadable MP3s (see inside for details).