Editing Giuseppe Verdi (section)

===1842–1849===
[[File:Francesco Maria Piave - Granger.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Francesco Maria Piave]] whose work with Verdi included ''Rigoletto'' and ''La traviata'']]
A period of hard work for Verdi—with the creation of twenty operas (excluding revisions and translations)—followed over the next sixteen years, culminating in ''[[Un ballo in maschera]]''. This period was not without its frustrations and setbacks for the young composer, and he was frequently demoralised. In April 1845, in connection with ''[[I due Foscari]]'', he wrote: "I am happy, no matter what reception it gets, and I am utterly indifferent to everything. I cannot wait for these next three years to pass. I have to write six operas, then ''addio'' to everything."{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|p=181}} In 1858 Verdi complained: "Since ''Nabucco'', you may say, I have never had one hour of peace. Sixteen years in the galleys."{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|p=379}}

After the initial success of ''Nabucco'', Verdi settled in Milan, making a number of influential acquaintances. He attended the ''Salotto Maffei'', Countess [[Clara Maffei]]'s [[salon (gathering)|salon]]s in Milan, becoming her lifelong friend and correspondent.{{sfn|Parker|2001|loc=§3}} A revival of ''Nabucco'' followed in 1842 at La Scala where it received a run of fifty-seven performances,{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|p=139}} and this led to a commission from Merelli for a new opera for the 1843 season. ''[[I Lombardi alla prima crociata]]'' was based on a libretto by Solera and premiered in February 1843. Inevitably, comparisons were made with ''Nabucco''; but one contemporary writer noted: "If [''Nabucco''] created this young man's reputation, ''I Lombardi'' served to confirm it."{{sfn|Budden|1984a|p=116}}

Verdi paid close attention to his financial contracts, making sure he was appropriately remunerated as his popularity increased. For ''I Lombardi'' and ''[[Ernani]]'' (1844) in Venice he was paid 12,000 lire (including supervision of the productions); ''[[Attila (opera)|Attila]]'' and ''[[Macbeth (Verdi)|Macbeth]]'' (1847), each brought him 18,000 lire. His contracts with the publishers [[Casa Ricordi|Ricordi]] in 1847 were very specific about the amounts he was to receive for new works, first productions, musical arrangements, and so on.{{sfn|Porter|1980|p=649}} He began to use his growing prosperity to invest in land near his birthplace. In 1844 he purchased "Il Pulgaro", 62 acres (23 hectares) of farmland with a farmhouse and outbuildings, providing a home for his parents from May 1844. Later that year, he also bought the Palazzo Cavalli (now known as the Palazzo Orlandi) on the via Roma, Busseto's main street.{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|pp=160–161}} In May 1848, Verdi signed a contract for land and houses at Sant'Agata in Busseto, which had once belonged to his family.{{sfn|Budden|1993|p=45}} It was here he built his own house, completed in 1880, now known as the [[Villa Verdi]], where he lived from 1851 until his death.<ref>[http://www.villaverdi.org/pagine/en.php "Story"] on Villa Verdi website, accessed 10 June 2015.</ref>
[[File:Giuseppina Strepponi.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Giuseppina Strepponi]] ({{Circa|1845}})]]
In March 1843, Verdi visited Vienna (where [[Gaetano Donizetti]] was musical director) to oversee a production of ''Nabucco''. The older composer, recognising Verdi's talent, noted in a letter of January 1844: "I am very, very happy to give way to people of talent like Verdi... Nothing will prevent the good Verdi from soon reaching one of the most honourable positions in the cohort of composers."{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|p=148}} Verdi travelled on to Parma, where the [[Teatro Regio di Parma]] was producing ''Nabucco'' with [[Giuseppina Strepponi]] in the cast. For Verdi, the performances were a personal triumph in his native region, especially as his father, Carlo, attended the first performance. Verdi remained in Parma for some weeks beyond his intended departure date. This fuelled speculation that the delay was due to Verdi's interest in Strepponi (who stated that their relationship began in 1843).{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|pp=150–151}} Strepponi was in fact known for her amorous relationships (and many illegitimate children) and her history was an awkward factor in their relationship until they eventually agreed on marriage.{{sfn|Kerman|2006|p=23}}

After successful stagings of ''Nabucco'' in Venice (with twenty-five performances in the 1842/43 season), Verdi began negotiations with the impresario of [[La Fenice]] to stage ''I Lombardi'', and to write a new opera. Eventually, Victor Hugo's ''[[Hernani (drama)|Hernani]]'' was chosen, with [[Francesco Maria Piave]] as librettist. ''[[Ernani]]'' was successfully premiered in 1844 and within six months had been performed at twenty other theatres in Italy, and also in Vienna.{{sfn|Rosselli|2000|p=52}} The writer [[Andrew Porter (music critic)|Andrew Porter]] notes that for the next ten years, Verdi's life "reads like a travel diary—a timetable of visits...to bring new operas to the stage or to supervise local premieres". La Scala premiered none of these new works, except for ''Giovanna d'Arco''. Verdi "never forgave the Milanese for their reception of ''Un giorno di regno''".{{sfn|Porter|1980|p=649}}

During this period, Verdi began to work more consistently with his librettists. He relied on Piave again for ''I due Foscari'', performed in Rome in November 1844, then on Solera once more for ''[[Giovanna d'Arco]]'', at La Scala in February 1845, while in August that year he was able to work with [[Salvadore Cammarano]] on ''[[Alzira (opera)|Alzira]]'' for the [[Teatro di San Carlo]] in Naples. Solera and Piave worked together on ''[[Attila (opera)|Attila]]'' for La Fenice (March 1846).{{sfn|Parker|2001|loc=§4}}
[[File:Emanuele Muzio-Verdi's pupil & assistant.jpg|upright|thumb|right|[[Emanuele Muzio]], Verdi's pupil and assistant]]
In April 1844, Verdi took on [[Emanuele Muzio]], eight years his junior, as a pupil and [[amanuensis]]. He had known him since about 1828 as another of Barezzi's protégés.{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|p=160}} Muzio, who in fact was Verdi's only pupil, became indispensable to the composer. He reported to Barezzi that Verdi "has a breadth of spirit, of generosity, a wisdom".{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|p=166}} In November 1846, Muzio wrote of Verdi: "If you could see us, I seem more like a friend, rather than his pupil. We are always together at dinner, in the cafes, when we play cards...; all in all, he doesn't go anywhere without me at his side; in the house we have a big table and we both write there together, and so I always have his advice."{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|pp=192–193}} Muzio was to remain associated with Verdi, assisting in the preparation of scores and transcriptions, and later conducting many of his works in their premiere performances in the US and elsewhere outside Italy. He was chosen by Verdi as one of the executors of his will but predeceased the composer in 1890.{{sfn|Marchesi|2001}}

After a period of illness, Verdi began work on ''Macbeth'' in September 1846. He dedicated the opera to Barezzi: "I have long intended to dedicate an opera to you, as you have been a father, a benefactor and a friend for me. It was a duty I should have fulfilled sooner if imperious circumstances had not prevented me. Now, I send you ''Macbeth'', which I prize above all my other operas, and therefore deem worthier to present to you."{{sfn|Werfel|Stefan|1973|p=122}} In 1997 Martin Chusid wrote that ''Macbeth'' was the only one of Verdi's operas of his "early period" to remain regularly in the international repertoire,{{sfn|Chusid|1997|p=1}} although in the 21st century ''Nabucco'' has also entered the lists.<ref name="auto">[http://operabase.com/top.cgi?lang=en&break=-2&show=opera&no=50&nat= Operabase website], accessed 28 June 2015.</ref>

Strepponi's voice declined and her engagements dried up in the 1845 to 1846 period, and she returned to live in Milan whilst retaining contact with Verdi as his "supporter, promoter, unofficial adviser, and occasional secretary" until she decided to move to Paris in October 1846. Before she left Verdi gave her a letter that pledged his love. On the envelope, Strepponi wrote: "5 or 6 October 1846. They shall lay this letter on my heart when they bury me."{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|p=196}}

Verdi had completed ''[[I masnadieri]]'' for London by May 1847 except for the orchestration. This he left until the opera was in rehearsal, since he wanted to hear "la [[Jenny Lind|[Jenny] Lind]] and modify her role to suit her more exactly".{{sfn|Baldini|1980|p=132}} Verdi agreed to conduct the premiere on 22 July 1847 at [[Her Majesty's Theatre]], as well as the second performance. [[Queen Victoria]] and [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]] attended the first performance, and for the most part, the press was generous in its praise.{{sfn|Budden|1984a|pp=318–319}}

[[File:Salvadore Cammarano-2.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Salvadore Cammarano]], librettist of ''Alzira'', ''La battaglia di Legnano'', and ''Luisa Miller'']]
For the next two years, except for two visits to Italy during periods of political unrest, Verdi was based in Paris.{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|pp=229–241}} Within a week of returning to Paris in July 1847, he received his first commission from the [[Académie Royale de Musique|Paris Opéra]]. Verdi agreed to adapt ''I Lombardi'' to a new French libretto; the result was ''[[Jérusalem]]'', which contained significant changes to the music and structure of the work (including an extensive ballet scene) to meet Parisian expectations.{{sfn|Rosselli|2000|p=63}} Verdi was awarded the Order of Chevalier of the [[Legion of Honour]].{{sfn|Rosselli|2000|p=72}}{{efn|1=In 1880 he was upgraded to Grand Officer of the Legion, after the Paris premiere of ''Aida''.{{sfn|Rosselli|2000|p=180}} In 1894, after the Paris premiere of ''Falstaff'', he was awarded the Grand Croix of the Legion.{{sfn|Reibel|2001|p=97}}}} To satisfy his contracts with the publisher {{Interlanguage link|Francesco Lucca|it}}, Verdi dashed off ''[[Il Corsaro]]''. Budden comments "In no other opera of his does Verdi appear to have taken so little interest ''before'' it was staged."{{sfn|Budden|1984a|p=365}}

On hearing the news of the [[Five Days of Milan|"Cinque Giornate", the "Five Days"]] of street fighting that took place between 18 and 22 March 1848 and temporarily drove the Austrians out of Milan, Verdi travelled there, arriving on 5 April.{{sfn|Phillips-Matz|1993|p=229}} He discovered that Piave was now "Citizen Piave" of the newly proclaimed [[Republic of San Marco]]. Writing a patriotic letter to him in Venice, Verdi concluded "Banish every petty municipal idea! We must all extend a fraternal hand, and Italy will yet become the first nation of the world...I am drunk with joy! Imagine that there are no more Germans here!!"{{sfn|Martin|1984|p=220}}

Verdi had been admonished by the poet [[Giuseppe Giusti]] for turning away from patriotic subjects, the poet pleading with him to "do what you can to nourish the [sorrow of the Italian people], to strengthen it, and direct it to its goal."{{sfn|Osborne|1969|p=189}} Cammarano suggested adapting [[Joseph Méry]]'s 1828 play ''La Bataille de Toulouse'', which he described as a story "that should stir every man with an Italian soul in his breast".{{sfn|Budden|1984a|p=390}} The premiere was set for late January 1849. Verdi travelled to Rome before the end of 1848. He found that city on the verge of becoming [[Roman Republic (19th century)|a (short-lived) republic]], which commenced within days of ''La battaglia di Legnano''{{'}}s enthusiastically received premiere. In the spirit of the time were the [[tenor]] hero's final words, "Whoever dies for the fatherland cannot be evil-minded".{{sfn|Rosselli|2000|pp=79–80}}

Verdi had intended to return to Italy in early 1848, but was prevented by work and illness, as well as, most probably, by his increasing attachment to Strepponi. Verdi and Strepponi left Paris in July 1849, the immediate cause being an outbreak of [[cholera]],{{sfn|Walker|1962|p=194}} and Verdi went directly to Busseto to continue work on completing his latest opera, ''[[Luisa Miller]]'', for a production in Naples later in the year.{{sfn|Rosselli|2000|p=89}}