Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Verdi was born into a humble family living in the agricultural Po valley in Lombardy, near Milan, in 1813, the same year as that other operatic giant, Wagner. At that time, Italy was not the united country it is now, but rather a loose federation of states, dominated in the North by Austria. At twelve, Verdi's father sent him to live in nearby Busseto to benefit from the wider horizons a larger town could offer. There he was fortunate to be encouraged by one of the local musicians, and later hoped to attend the Milan Conservatory through a fund provided by the townspeople. Unfortunately, the Conservatory turned him down for several reasons, including their belief that he was "lacking in musical talent." Nevertheless, he was able to study privately and made great progress, though more as a conductor than as a composer.

His first opera, Oberto, was produced at La Scala in 1839. Although it did not meet with great success, it earned him a commission for three new operas. Of these, the second, Nabucco, was the work that really launched Verdi's career as a composer. Next, the patriotic I Lombardi established his political hero status. Many times during his career he was forced by the censors to change his stories, notably in Un Ballo in Maschera, where he changed the factual assassination of Sweden's King Gustav III to the fictitious murder of the Governor of Massachusetts in Boston!

By the time he wrote La Traviata in 1853 he was tossing off better than one opera per year, having already completed 17, including Macbeth, Rigoletto and Il Trovatore. His crowning glory, both financially and in popularity, came with his commission to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal in 1871 - Aïda. For fifteen years after that, his pen lay idle. He only wrote two further operas - Otello and Falstaff - but they are two of his very best. He died at the age of 87, just twenty-six days into the 20th Century.

Despite his fame and success Verdi preferred to live a simple, rustic life close to his birthplace. There he spent the greater part of his life, with Giuseppina, his second wife (his first wife died in 1840).

In many ways his music is also quite simple, though not necessarily easy. He had a wonderful gift for melody, especially in the vocal line. He assigns to the orchestra a much greater importance than did his predecessors, but unlike the later verismo composers, he never allows the orchestra to compete with the singers. Another trend which he furthered is the joining together of successive musical elements. Instead of the rigid separation of arias, his music flows more continuously. However, there are still some breaks, in contrast with the music of Puccini which hardly breaks at all other than between acts. Verdi's main contribution must be to the importance of drama in opera. In this he was guided by his love of the theater, especially Shakespeare.

La Traviata

Music by Giuseppe Verdi, libretto by Francesco Piave.

La Traviata (The Fallen Woman) belongs to the middle and most prolific period of Verdi's career of 26 operas. Most of these can still claim to be in the repertoire. Traviata remains one of his most popular works, second only to Aïda. (In terms of the number of Metropolitan Opera performances, it ties for fourth place with Tosca, after Aïda, La Bohème and Carmen.)

In common with all the other operas in the top ten (as defined above), the opera ends with the death of the heroine. The story of La Traviata is based on Alexandre Dumas's play La Dame aux Camélias. This in turn was based on the true story of Marie Plessis, who was born in obscurity in the 1820s, went to Paris, rose rapidly to high society, contracted tuberculosis, and within a few years died in poverty. Dumas wrote the story not from second-hand accounts but from intimacy, for the original for Verdi's Alfredo was none other than Dumas himself!

The title itself is something of an enigma. Literally, traviata means "gone astray" or "lost". Is it enough to ascribe the meaning to the fact that she is a courtesan? To our senses of 150 years later, she is guilty of no more than taking advantage of the "casting couch" to climb from peasant girl to stardom. To Verdi and librettist Piave, the title was probably not meant to be perjorative, rather, sympathetic, more along the lines of a lost sheep in the religious sense, inasmuch as Violetta ended up far from her own happy dreams of earlier days.

Like so many of our favorite musical compositions, the first performance, in Venice, was less than auspicious. The first Violetta's large size rendered her death scene ridiculous. The other principals had problems too. Verdi, however, had total confidence in his creation. Some of his finest music found its way into the score, including such perennial favorites as the drinking song Libiamo ne' lieti calici; Un dì felice; Sempre libera; Di Provenza il mar and Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo.

SYNOPSIS

The opera opens with a short orchestral prelude to Act I, in which we first hear the theme which will open the last act. This is followed by Violetta's impassioned plea Amami, Alfredo (Love me, Alfredo) from Act II.

Act I: at Violetta's house, a party is in full swing. Violetta is greeting her guests including her friend Flora and escort the Marquis d'Obigny. Soon Gaston arrives and introduces her to Alfredo Germont, who claims to be a long-time admirer from afar. Apparently, during Violetta's recent illness, Alfredo has been making daily enquiries about her health. She is touched by this devotion and scolds her protector, Baron Douphol, for not paying so much attention. Alfredo is asked to propose a toast which he does rather well with Libiamo ne' lieti calici (Let's drink from the joyous chalice). Violetta joins in and all have a good time.

Music is heard from another room, and the guests go in. Violetta feels unwell, however and stays behind. Alfredo remains also to profess his love for her with the enchanting and philosophical Un dì felice, eterea (One happy, heavenly day...). Violetta makes light of this protestation, telling him that she doesn't get seriously involved. With an invitation to return tomorrow (when the flower has withered), Alfredo takes his leave gladly. Violetta, lost in thought, finds that, quite strangely for her, her heart has been affected after all (È strano - It's strange). Then she echos his aria with the words Ah, fors'è lui (Ah, perhaps it's he...).

Then she realizes that she's being crazy (Follie! Delirio vano è questo - Madness! This is vain delirium). After that she bursts into the brilliant Sempre libera (always free I shall hurry from pleasure to pleasure). Offstage, we hear Alfredo repeating his refrain Di quell'amor ch'è palpito..).

Act II: at the country house which he has shared with Violetta for the last three months, Alfredo reflects on his happiness. His reverie is interrupted by the news that Violetta is selling everything to pay for the house. Violetta receives a ball invitation but is no longer interested. Alfredo's father arrives unexpectedly and accuses her of ruining his son, which in turn will prevent the happy marriage of his daughter. Although Violetta renounces her former life, Germont insists that she leave Alfredo. She sorrowfully accedes, pointing out that her sacrifice, which will allow a happy life for Alfredo's sister, will surely cause her own death. Germont leaves.

While she pens letters to cover up the true reason for her leaving, Alfredo returns. She begs him to love her always and departs. Alfredo receives the note just as Germont returns to console him and ask him to return home (Di Provenza il mar - Who has erased the sea and soil of Provence from your heart?). But Alfredo leaves in search for Violetta at the ball.

Act III: at Flora's, the ball is about to start. Guests dressed as gypsies girls and bullfighters enter and dance. Alfredo and Violetta arrive separately, she with Baron Douphol. Alfredo, understandably upset, provokes the Baron into a challenge at cards. Alfredo wins again and again, and as soon as the guests have gone to dinner, he returns to meet with Violetta. Unable to reveal the truth, she pretends to love the Baron. In a rage, Alfredo recalls the guests and, in repayment for her expenses, throws his winnings at Violetta's feet. Germont enters and rebukes his son who is overcome with remorse. Violetta swears undying love for Alfredo. Germont leads Alfredo away as the Baron challenges him to a duel.

Act IV: again, we hear the infinitely sad music of the prelude. Violetta, impoverished and terminally ill, is asleep in her apartment. The doctor arrives, and although appears cheerful with Violetta, he tells her maid that she has only hours to live. She asks the maid to give away half of their meagre savings and check for the mail. Alone, she rereads a letter from Germont: the Baron is recovering from his wounds from the duel; Alfredo, gone abroad, has learned the truth and his returning, with his father, to beg forgiveness. "Too late", she cries and in despair sings Addio del passato (Farewell happy dreams). To add pathos, we hear the sounds of Carnival outside.

Soon, Alfredo arrives and implores her forgiveness. In the duet Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo (We'll leave Paris, my dearest), they plan a new life. Violetta becomes exhausted trying to put on her dress to go to church to give thanks. She and Alfredo protest her fate. The doctor arrives with Germont, who is full of remorse. Violetta gives Alfredo a miniature portrait with a touching request that he show it to any future wife, as Violetta will by then be praying for them from heaven. Alfredo begs her not to die, but after a brief tranquil spell, she is overcome and falls back dead.