Traviata is a opera in 3 acts (But it can be played sometimes in 4 acts) of Giuseppe Verdi and whose text is of Francesco Maria Piave, according to the novel of Alexandre Dumas wire, the Lady with the camellias.

All the opera rests on the talents of the title role (the Soprano) which requires performances and an endurance out of the commun run.

This opera belongs to a made up trilogy in 1853 by Verdi: Rigoletto, It trovatore (the trouvere) and Traviata. The musical resemblances of these three works are obvious and very recognizable: beautiful melodies, airs envoûtants, supremacy of the expensive choruses with Verdi.

Representations

The first representation took place with the Théâtre Fenice with Venice, the March 6th 1853. The opera was to be initially called " Amore E dead " (love and dead) but Verdi changed the title during the repetitions (the word " traviata " mean, in Italian, " the lost woman or " the dévoyée"). Contrary to current success, Traviata knew a resounding failure during its creation. Some advanced the thesis of the costumes of the interpreters, considered to be too modern, but for Verdi the failure was ascribable to the singers (Made green the partition for the other representations altered besides, and the second representation was definitely better) and with the fact that the action had been theatrically speaking transposed at the 18th century (and not at the 19th century). Failure so due partly to the choice of the type-setter to take for heroin a woman and in addition, a courtesan. New fact for the time, and the first time in the history of the opera. The choice of this subject could run up against the sensitivities, in the middle of the 19th century, in Italy deeply Catholique.

The Times titrated at the time: work full with obscenities, horrible and dirty . When the opera was rejoué in Venice the May 6th 1854 it gained a total success.

Traviata is today one of the most popular operas of the lyric repertory.

The reopening of the same theater, the November 12th 2004 after its fire accommodated a new production of Traviata , put in scene by Robert Carsen and like Leader Lorin Maazel.

“Traviata” is an order

Order of the director of Fenice in 1852, but the choice of the subject of the Lady to the camellias was not essential immediately, even if this part given to Paris on February 2nd of this same year were an immense success. Made green discovers the part put in scene by Alexandre Dumas at the time of her first representation in Paris, he is then for a short stay in the French capital with Giuseppina Strepponi. It is then thirty-nine years old and already composed ten eights of its operas.

With the composition of Traviata, Verdi forsakes the historical subjects of its preceding operas to concentrate on a lighter subject of drama of manners.

Autobiographical opera?

If the resemblance to the subject of the Lady to the camellias of Alexandre Dumas wire is undeniable, we can also see in this work the tumultuous loves of Verdi with the professional singer Giuseppina Strepponi.

Indeed, during the years of composition of the opera, Verdi was in a personal situation very compromising and its relation with Giuseppina infuença considerably its choice.

The librettist knew well the couple Verdi and Strepponi like their private life, this is why we can see, under the features of Violetta, the professional singer and its tumultuous life, the first is a courtesan, second gave up his/her two children not to have to give up neither its career nor with Verdi.

It is thus more Giuseppina which we find in the heroin of Made green that Marguerite Gauthier it half fashionable of Dumas. Violetta deeply likes Alfredo to sacrifice Giuseppina just like likes Verdi to achieve, it also sacrifices. The character of Dumas does not sacrifice same manner.

Verist opera

This opera is connected with the current of the Vérisme. Made green makes in the opera, during Zola. The verism being current which develops the true people. He writes in 1876 in a letter intended for his friend Maffei " to copy truth, it can be well but to invent truth it is still mieux".

But the true verist opera is certainly not Traviata, but Falstaff, its last comic opera.

Intrigue

The action occurs to Paris to the 19th century (it is the only opera of Made green whose action is at the time of creation).

Alfredo Germont, young man of good family falls passionately in love with a Violetta courtesan at the time of a dinner in mutual friends. By love, Violetta completely forsakes his/her many lovers to live an insane passion with Alfredo, but it is without counting on the father moralizer of Alfredo which persuades it in the name of the middle-class design of morality to give up his/her son. Violetta then writes a letter of rupture in Alfredo without explaining the real reasons of their separation, making Alfredo insane furious. The disease of which it was reached reappears and it is alone in company of its faithful chambermaid that Violetta dies. By a letter of his/her father, Alfredo learns that it forever ceased liking it and that the person in charge of their separation is not other than his father. Furious and repenting, it runs at Violetta, but too late: corroded by the Phthisis, Violetta dies in its arms.

Violetta was already sick before falling in love with Alfredo, but it is not only its disease which makes it suffer. It is victim of the middle-class company and the principles which govern it. It will die, certainly but happy like it forever be front, happy to it of a found love and finally recognized. It is one of the first booklets written until now when heroin dies at the end. By this opera Verdi opens the door with the future operas of Puccini.

What is in the middle of work, it is the sacrifice of Violetta, sacrifice which it achieves to satisfy the rules of the middle-class company of the time.

The topic chosen here is completely apart from usual conventions of the romantic opera in which heroin is led to the madness, with the suicide or even to finish its days in a convent: here, she dies of Tuberculose.

Act I

To forget its disease, Violetta Valery, a Demi-mondaine, gives a festival. All his/her friends are brought together around it, including his/her lover in title, the baron Douphol. During this festival, Gaston presents one of his friends, Alfredo Germont to him. This one declares its flame with Violetta, which at the time of a duet between the two protagonists, is let take with the play love after having given up there…

Act II

Both will settle in the countryside and share a perfect happiness when Alfredo learns by Annina, the chambermaid, that Violetta wastes its own goods for the maintenance of the household. He then leaves to Paris to honor the debts with Violetta.

Remained only, Violetta receives the visit of the father of Alfredo, Giorgio Germont. This one reproaches him this union which dishonors its family. It reproaches him for wasting the goods of Alfredo, she tightens a letter to him proving the opposite to him. It then evokes his daughter, promised in marriage to a man whose family refuses to grant the marriage as long as Alfredo will live with Violetta. He plays thus on the sensitive cord of Violetta, adding that its connection with Alfredo will have only a time since it could not be blessed by the marriage. He thus asks him to give up this connection. Yielding to its supplications, Violetta writes a letter of rupture in Alfredo and share with the festival of Flora, her friend, in Paris.

At the time of a reception given by Flora, Alfredo only arrives; Violetta, as for it, arrives at the arm of the Baron Douphol. After part of play where it gains, Alfredo calls the guests and declares that it wants, in front of witness, to refund in Violetta the money which she spent for him. It throws its profits of play to the feet of Violetta; the guests are scandalized by his attitude, just like his/her father who has just arrived and announces to him in front of all the assistance.

Act III

Violetta is seriously sick, and its days are counted… It in its Parisian apartment, is looked after by Aninna. It reads and reads again the Letter of Giorgio Germont, hope of the found love. Germont acknowledges in this letter which he told all the truth with Alfredo and which this last will come to see it. Seven scenes where one assite with the anguish of Violetta. Visit of Doctor Granville (scene II), the festival in the streets of Paris (scene III), the letter of Giorgio and Alfredo, only glimmer of hope (scene IV), the advertisement of the arrival of Alfredo (scene V), the found love (scene VI), then Violetta announces she even the end with Alfredo: " If you did not save me by your return, no one in the world will not have the pouvoir" of it;. And she dies

Characters

  • Violetta Valéry, lyric soprano
  • Flora Bervoix, mezzo-soprano
  • Annina, mezzo-soprano
  • Alfredo Germont, tenor
  • Giorgio Germont, his/her father, baritone
  • Gastone, Viscount of Letorières, tenor
  • Baron Douphol, baritone
  • Marquis d' Obigny, low
  • Doctor Grenvil, low
  • Giuseppe, servant of Violetta, tenor
  • a servant of Flora, low
  • a commission agent, low
  • Friendly of Violetta and Flora, matadors, picadors, Tziganes, masks and servants, choruses

Discography

Random links:Bondage | Bihucourt | The Community of communes of the Country of Sorts | Manual Rodolfo Lopes Lima | COSEC

© 2007-2008 speedlook.com; article text available under the terms of GFDL, from fr.wikipedia.org