The conductor and musicologist Joan Grimalt highlighted the links between words, dramatic gestures and musical meaning with a line-by-line analysis of various fragments of La traviata, Il trovatore and Un ballo in maschera.

Between each fragment, Grimalt provided insight into Verdi’s operatic works and the music of the Romantic period, and compared them to the modern day. “The popular music of that time can be compared to the cinema of today”. He went on to say, “If it were not for the economic crisis, I would recommend that you go to the opera frequently. There’s no effort involved and it’s a spectacle that combines a variety of different elements with a great deal of imagination and major literary value”.

The event was organized by the Faculty of Humanities and was attended by a broad cross-section of the university community. It was the faculty’s way of celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Verdi in conjunction with the festivities planned at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, which will kick off the 2013-2014 season with a major celebration of all things Verdi on Sunday and Wednesday, 6 and 9 October 2013. Those who attended Grimalt’s lecture were given an opportunity to buy tickets for Wednesday’s concert with a 60% discount off the normal price.