Third of the three operas that eventually solidified Giuseppe Verdi’s fame as one of Italy’s foremost operatic composers, La traviata endured a shaky path from its premiere to its present status as the second most performed opera. Based on the play La dame aux Camélias, which in turn was adapted from a novel of the same name by Alexander Dumas, fils, the opera’s March 1853 premiere was a disaster. Even before the premiere, La traviata was marred by disputes. Verdi and the opera’s librettist, Francesco Maria Piave, wanted to follow closely Dumas’s contemporary setting, but the management of the La Fenice opera house in Venice insisted on a more dated one, circa 1700. La traviata would not be staged with its proper contemporary setting until the 1880s. Furthermore, Verdi disagreed with the casting of Fanny Salvini-Donatelli in the lead role of Violetta. Despite an acclaimed singer, her age and appearance made her portrayal of a young woman dying of consumption awkward and unbelievable. Verdi’s efforts to have the role re-cast were to no avail.
When La traviata finally did premiere on March 6, the first act was met with enthusiasm and praise from the audience. However, the remaining acts were not, and the following day, in a letter to a friend, Verdi pronounced the opera a failure. Nonetheless, Verdi did not give up on it. Throughout 1853-54, he revised La traviata, most notably acts 2 and 3, and its next performance at the Teatro San Benedetto was a critical success.
The opera’s subsequent premieres in other countries were not as well-received as its second performance in Venice. At its English premiere in 1856 at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, the heads of the Church attempted to cancel the performance because of the questionably morality of its plot and the Queen herself was not in attendance. Later in the same year, it was performed at the Academy of Music in New York where again the same offences were brought against it. However, some critics responded that La traviata was no worse than many other operas, and were quick to cite the debauchery of Mozart’s immensely popular Don Giovanni, which audiences were quite at ease sitting through. Today, La traviata has become a staple of the repertoire and is second only to Mozart’s The Magic Flute in frequency of performances.Joseph DuBose
Classical Music | Piano Music
Giuseppe Verdi
La Traviata potpourri Play
Recorded on 06/06/2010, uploaded on 06/21/2010
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Third of the three operas that eventually solidified Giuseppe Verdi’s fame as one of Italy’s foremost operatic composers, La traviata endured a shaky path from its premiere to its present status as the second most performed opera. Based on the play La dame aux Camélias, which in turn was adapted from a novel of the same name by Alexander Dumas, fils, the opera’s March 1853 premiere was a disaster. Even before the premiere, La traviata was marred by disputes. Verdi and the opera’s librettist, Francesco Maria Piave, wanted to follow closely Dumas’s contemporary setting, but the management of the La Fenice opera house in Venice insisted on a more dated one, circa 1700. La traviata would not be staged with its proper contemporary setting until the 1880s. Furthermore, Verdi disagreed with the casting of Fanny Salvini-Donatelli in the lead role of Violetta. Despite an acclaimed singer, her age and appearance made her portrayal of a young woman dying of consumption awkward and unbelievable. Verdi’s efforts to have the role re-cast were to no avail.
When La traviata finally did premiere on March 6, the first act was met with enthusiasm and praise from the audience. However, the remaining acts were not, and the following day, in a letter to a friend, Verdi pronounced the opera a failure. Nonetheless, Verdi did not give up on it. Throughout 1853-54, he revised La traviata, most notably acts 2 and 3, and its next performance at the Teatro San Benedetto was a critical success.
The opera’s subsequent premieres in other countries were not as well-received as its second performance in Venice. At its English premiere in 1856 at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London, the heads of the Church attempted to cancel the performance because of the questionably morality of its plot and the Queen herself was not in attendance. Later in the same year, it was performed at the Academy of Music in New York where again the same offences were brought against it. However, some critics responded that La traviata was no worse than many other operas, and were quick to cite the debauchery of Mozart’s immensely popular Don Giovanni, which audiences were quite at ease sitting through. Today, La traviata has become a staple of the repertoire and is second only to Mozart’s The Magic Flute in frequency of performances. Joseph DuBose
More music by Giuseppe Verdi
Judgment scene, from Aida
Di quella pira, from Il Trovatore
Ella giammai m'amò, from Act IV of Don Carlo
Nile duet, from Aida
Esultate, from Otello
Niun mi tema, from Otello
Celeste Aida, from Aida
Celeste Aida, from Aida (in Russian)
Gia nella notte densa, from Otello
Scene from Act 2, Otello
Performances by same musician(s)
Arabesque in C sharp major
Piano Sonata No. 81 Movement 3
Piano Concerto no. 2 in G major op. 44 (1879-1880, transcription for 2 pianos)
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