Giuseppe Verdi was an Italian opera composer in the 19th century. His most noted operas include Rigoletto (1851), Il trovatore (1853), La traviata (1853), Don Carlos (1867), Aida (1871), Otello (1887), and Falstaff (1893) and for his Requiem Mass (1874), many of which are referenced in The Master and Margarita. Interestingly, his first wife’s name was Margherita Barezzi.
"Giuseppe Verdi." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 19 Nov. 2010 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/625922/Giuseppe-Verdi>.