Art & Taste: Giuseppe Verdi, Father of Grand Opera

With the premiere of Nabucco, nothing was the same for Giuseppe Verdi. On March 9, 1842, his opera premiered at La Scala in Milan, and in one fell swoop Verdi was a star throughout Italy. The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves "Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate" ("Climb, thought, on golden wings") struck a chord with Italians and became the unofficial national anthem of all who longed for a united Italy. The freedom of the country, which at that time was under the rule of the Austrian imperial family, suddenly seemed possible – and the 28-year-old composer became its symbolic figure. In the streets, the pubs and at home – everywhere people sang and whistled the melody. In the stores there were black hats, like the ones Verdi would wear and in the delicatessens there were 'Verdi pies' and pasta alla Verdi for sale.