Music & Drama » Music » Opera & Classical Music

You can use our reading lists to find the best books on operas and classical music books ever written on a variety of subjects.

Our book recommendation interviews look at the best books on individual composers, such as the best Wagner books, as well as the best books on classical music in general.

We also have a number of opera singers recommending the best opera books, and composers picking the best biographies of classical composers.

  • The best books on Verdi - Verdi (Master Musicians Series) by Julian Budden
  • The best books on Verdi - The Cambridge Verdi Encyclopedia by (ed.) Roberta Marvin
  • The best books on Verdi - The Man Verdi by Frank Walker
  • The best books on Verdi - The Story of Giuseppe Verdi: Oberto to Un Ballo in Maschera by Gabriele Baldini
  • The best books on Verdi - Divas and Scholars: Performing Italian Opera by Philip Gossett

The best books on Verdi, recommended by Francesco Izzo

Nearly everyone knows the photo of Verdi’s funeral, the streets of Milan packed with people paying homage to the great composer. How did the son of an innkeeper from Le Roncole become not only one of the most famous opera composers of all time but also a prominent symbol of Italy’s Risorgimento? Verdi expert Francesco Izzo discusses the books to read to best understand the man, the myths, and the music.

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