ABSTRACT
The manner in which Victorian London audiences came to understand Verdi’s operas, and Verdi himself, forms the core of this chapter. Music publications, stage adaptations, press coverage, and images all played roles in the British public’s knowledge. After laying out this context, the discussion turns to the ways in which perceptions about the man Verdi worked in dialogue with the reception of his music. Focusing on verbal press accounts concerning Verdi’s behavior, appearance, background, and activities, and on widely circulated visual images of Verdi’s person, the chapter addresses how perceptions may have been formulated. Against ideas about Victorian decorum, conceptions of physiognomy and phrenology, and prescribed techniques and conventions of portraiture for depicting character traits, the chapter unpacks Verdi’s Victorian journey from being labeled a spoiled arrogant man to being perceived as a resolute sagacious mensch, from a shallow and berated artist to a sought after and admired master. It argues for the role of printed media, especially visual imagery, in creating a deeper, multi-layered understanding of Verdi as a man and consequently as an artist. The study of these Victorian notions of Verdi furnishes insights into British sensibilities and culture, especially the possible intertwining of societal expectations and aesthetic perceptions.
