Music: Opera in Focus: Verdi and Wagner

Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner are two of opera’s defining figures. Their works are vast, ambitious, and profoundly influential, essential listening for anyone who wants to explore opera in greater depth.

At first glance, they can seem worlds apart: Verdi, the great Italian master of melody behind La Traviata and Il Trovatore; Wagner, the German innovator of monumental music dramas such as Der Ring des Nibelungen and Parsifal. But set side-by-side, fascinating connections emerge. Both composers were shaped by the upheavals of the nineteenth century, both were intensely concerned with the relationship between music, text, and drama, and both engaged very differently with questions of national identity, politics, and culture.

Taught by Dr Bruno Bower, this online opera course explores Verdi and Wagner in parallel, tracing their development from early influences and breakthrough successes to the height of their fame, and then on to their late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century successors. Along the way we’ll tackle big themes such as comedy and tragedy, nationhood, artistic ambition, and legacy, while also looking closely at how their operas work, how words, music, character, and staging choices combine to create meaning.

Each session draws on key operas, biography, and historical context, using rich audio-visual extracts and plenty of opportunity for discussion. The course is suitable for complete beginners as well as those with some experience who want new ways of listening.

This course is open to everyone, with no previous experience necessary. All welcome!

Term dates

•  Autumn Term: week beginning 5 October 2026 until week ending 11 December 2026

For course content enquiries: Contact the tutor, Dr Bruno Bower, at b.bower@imperial.ac.uk 

For enrolment and booking enquiries: Contact Christian Jacobi at c.jacobi@imperial.ac.uk

Class recordings

These classes are not recorded.

Imperial certificates

This course has no exams or assessments, so you can focus on enjoying your learning. Regular attendance may also lead to the award of an Imperial attendance certificate. (T&Cs apply).