Verdi Simple?

  I am a complete Verdi nut, and he is my favorite opera composer.  Verdi completely changed the style of Italian opera in several different ways.  He started by writing in the belcanto style with his earlier operas.  However, even in those operas he increases the size of the orchestra and puts greater demands on singers then his predecessors Bellini, and Donizetti.  I am not saying that Bellini and Donizetti weren't demanding on singers, because they were.  Verdi increased those demands.  Singers who are not appropriate for certain Verdi roles can damage their voice.
   I would like to inform everyone who reads this that Verdi's works are never simple even though it might sound that way at times.  Verdi did get more complicated as he matured.  The characteristic um pa pa in the orchestral accompaniments essentially ceased to exist in late Verdi.  For example you never hear it in Aida, Otello or Falstaff, Verdi's last three operas.  You do hear it in his earlier works, but it always serves a purpose.  People say they don't like Verdi because of the um pa pa.  I say yeah whatever.  Try singing Verdi, then tell me that.  Verdi is among the hardest composers to perform for opera singers.  Verdi put insane demands on singers at times.  If you're not the right singer for the role of Otello, you could be done for career wise for example.  Verdi's early stuff may sound simple, but the vocal demands are as great or even greater than his later works.  Verdi characteristically wrote in a high tessitura for all voice types, including the chorus in his operas.
   Verdi's simplicity is not simple at all because it always serves strong purpose.  Let's look at a few musical examples that sound simple but are not.  The aria "La Donna e mobile" from "Rigoletto" sounds simple doesn't it?  It's deceptive because it's very hard to sing, and also the Duke is an evil guy.  Conte di Luna's aria "Il balen" from "Il Trovatore" sounds simple, but baritones refer to it as impossible to sing.  The melody is simple sounding, but again di Luna is an evil character.  The men's chorus in Rigoletto where they are telling the Duke how they abducted Gilda is a catchy tune.  However, the men are describing an abduction, plus rhythmically this piece has to be  very tight.  It's the conductor's job to keep the rhythm tight.  Verdi is hard to conduct because it is exposed.  My point of all this is to point out the subtle genius of Verdi.  There are many examples of Verdi' music sounding simple, yet being really difficult.  The subtle simplicity really comes across to the audience.  Verdi can make lust, kidnapping, and evil sound so simple and catchy which is absolutely genius.
   Verdi's level of maturity as a composer throughout his career is what makes him so fascinating for me personally.  Verdi completely changed the aria/cabaletta form, used the concerted finale at the ends of acts when he needed it,  not as a formula, reformed the baritone voice and mezzo soprano voices and put them in a class by themselves.  Those are only a few of the ways in which he changed opera.  So, for those who think Verdi is simple or boring, I would urge you to look at the librettos while listening to his operas.  Verdi went from going with the trends to completely changing Italian opera.  It's pretty fascinating if you think about it for a minute.  So, he is far from simple and just um pa pa in my opinion.