This miniseries, filmed in Leningrad, London, Paris, and Verdi's home region of Italy's Po Valley, required more than 100 actors, 18,000 extras, and over 4000 costumes. The program gives a complete overview of Verdi's life and is filled with music from the composer's works sung in the original Italian and taken from past rare recordings featuring such opera artists as Renata Tebaldi, Maria Callas, Luchiano Pavarotti, and Birgit Nilsson.