Ed Zubrow writes:

>I'm sure that at some point, art turns into craft as some have argued in
>this thread.  Still, when I listen to the wonderful music Verdi composed,
>I forget about all he had to put up with to bring it to us.  And I don't
>begrudge him one penny.

Verdi was indeed a very shrewd businessman, and always ready to drive
a hard bargain.  He was also prepared to sue people in management who he
surmised had not calculated correctly what they owed him.  But he also had
a great deal to say about production details such as costumes, acting, etc.
The correspondence about Aida in particular is packed with suggestions and
demands:  nothing was too trivial to escape his notice.  And there is the
famous account of him (at the age of 80) demonstrating to the tenor who was
to sing Otello how he should stab himself and fall down a flight of steps.

>BTW, a final note about Verdi the businessman that may be of interest.
>One of his enduring legacies was to establish a retirement home for
>impoversished aged musicians which is still in operation to this day.

He and his wife Peppina are buried there, in fact.

Julia Werthimer <[log in to unmask]>
California, USA