Season 1 • Episode 9
LatestGiuseppe Verdi was born in 1813 and lived until 1901, his life spanning nearly a century of political turmoil and considerable personal turmoil. This 1982 biographical television miniseries, as seen on PBS's Great Performances, dramatizes the life of this classic Italian composer known for operas including La Traviata, Rigoletto, and Aida and his Requiem.
Acting
Ronald Pickup embodies Verdi's volcanic temperament and deep restraint
Costume
Sumptuous 19th-century Italy, from ragged revolutionary to court composer
Production
1982 TV budget stretched to cinematic period grandeur
Creator
Renato Castellani
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Carla Fracci was a legendary prima ballerina, not an actress — Castellani specifically wanted her physical grace for Strepponi.
This miniseries arrived during the 1980s PBS opera boom, when American public television essentially kept European cultural programming alive for U.S. audiences.
IT
