“Verismo is an Italian word for “realism” and was applied to a movement in Italian literature in the late 19th century that grew from a renewed commitment to the rejuvenation of Italian culture . Although this may appear to be a boring sentence from a history text, first consider that Verdi was Italian opera, for all practical purposes, and that his final three operas (Aida, Otello, and Falstaff) were composed over a twenty-two year period (1871-1893). Veristi (writers, poets, playwrights) were particularly interested in new subject matters that reflected the life in lower classes, life in southern regions of Italy, local customs, and regional language and idioms . Veristic plays were called scene populari and served as the basis for many of the verismo operas to come.”