Radiotelevisione italiana.

When a harried housewife is accidentally left behind while on vacation with her family, she decides to take a holiday of her own in Venice. She becomes charmed by the city and her newfound freedom. She decides to extend her stay, finding a job in a flower shop, renting a room from a wistful waiter, and rediscovers her love for playing the accordian. But her solo journey does not sit well with her tyrannical husband, who hires an amateur detective...

Whilst waiting for a TV rehearsal to start, a group of orchestral musicians argue the merits of their instruments, but revolt against their German conductor who uses increasingly Hitlerian techniques to persuade them to perform.

This miniseries, filmed in Leningrad, London, Paris, and Verdi's home region of Italy's Po Valley, required more than 100 actors, 1800 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, Luciano Pavarotti, and Birgit Nilsson.