Il 'Te Deum' di Giuseppe Verdi: genesi, contesto storico e signifcato socio-culturale.

Abstract

Despite the rich literature on Giuseppe Verdi's extraordinary music and his long life, little attention has been given to his last production. This essay analyses the 'Te Deum', that is the third composition of the 'Four Sacred Pieces'. The 'Te Deum' is one of the last works of the talented composer. This essay goes beyond the analysis of the composition itself and relates the message of the brilliant piece to the historical contest. In fact, we also explore the importance of the composition in terms the vivid interaction with the society of the time and the Catholic Church. The analysis is conducted in four steps. First, we analyze the chronology of Verdi's work on the composition in order to understand the conception and development of this piece. Second, we describe the history of the Catholic Church during the period in which the Maestro composed the 'Te Deum'. In the last two paragraphs, we draw some conclusions on the social and cultural meaning of the 'Te Deum'. Moreover, we focus on the role of the religious feelings of Giuseppe Verdi on his creative production.