Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
was an Italian Romantic
composer, mainly of opera. He
was one of the most influential
composers of the 19th
century. His works are
frequently performed in opera
houses throughout the world
and, transcending the
boundaries of the genre, some
of his
themes have long since taken
root in popular culture – such
as "La donna è mobile" from
Rigoletto, "Va, pensiero" (The
Chorus of the Hebrew
Slaves) from Nabucco,
"Libiamo ne' lieti calici" (The
Drinking Song) from La
traviata and the "Grand March"
from Aida. His work has
sometimes
been criticized for using a
generally diatonic rather than a
chromatic musical idiom and
for being essentially
melodrama during his early
years.
Verdi’s masterworks dominate
the standard repertoire a
century and a half after their
composition.(from
Wikipedia)