Giuseppe Verdi
Greatest Italian opera composer
Most quoted
"I adore art... when I am alone with my notes, my heart pounds, and the tears stream from my eyes, and my emotion and my inspiration are so great that I have to sing them out loud."
— from Letter, 1871
"I adore art... when I am alone with my notes, my heart pounds and the tears stream from my eyes, and my emotion and my joys are too much to bear."
— from Letter to Countess Maffei, 1875
"Of all composers, past and present, I am the least learned. I mean that in all seriousness, and by learning I do not mean knowledge of music."
— from Letter to Arrivabene, 1871
All quotes by Giuseppe Verdi (398)
I have always tried to move the hearts of my audience.
The theatre is a place of dreams.
I have always tried to make my music accessible to everyone.
Music is a gift from God.
I am a man of the stage, and I live for the stage.
The artist must be a revolutionary.
I have always tried to create music that is both beautiful and meaningful.
The theatre is a place of emotion.
I have always tried to be honest in my art.
Music is a source of joy and comfort.
I am a man of the countryside, and I find inspiration in nature.
I have always tried to make my music speak for itself.
The theatre is a place of wonder.
Music is a reflection of life.
I adore art, but I adore it for its own sake, not for the sake of the public.
When I write, I don't think of the public. I think of the music.
To copy the truth is a good thing, but to invent the truth is better.
The public is a strange beast. It applauds what it doesn't understand and hisses what it does.
I have always believed that music should be simple, clear, and expressive.
I am a peasant, and I am proud of it.
Contemporaries of Giuseppe Verdi
Other Musics born within 50 years of Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901).