• the baritone is the harsh and scheming killjoy
It features sensational music and lives up to every cliché in opera:
• Alfredo Germont is the dashing young lover from a bourgeois provincial family who enjoys Parisian nightlife. He meets Violetta and is completely smitten.
• the soprano takes forever to die
• the tenor is the romantic but hapless lover
The I-hate-opera-guide to La Traviata
Premiered in 1853, La Traviata boasts some of Verdi’s best music from his middle period (which encompasses Rigoletto, La Traviata and Il Trovatore) and was key to catapulting Verdi to fame.
• Violetta Valery is a Parisian courtesan (today we’d call her an ‘escort’). She is the titular Traviata, a fallen woman; a woman who veered off the path of righteousness. She has a heart of gold but her lungs are in trouble. She suffers from tuberculosis.
• Giorgio Germont is Alfredo’s father. He disapproves of his son’s liaison with a courtesan as it throws the entire family into disrepute. He convinces Violetta to break off the relationship with Alfredo
© Philip Eisenbeiss for Opera Hong Kong 2022
• the soprano is the suffering and warm hearted heroine
• the romance, of course, is bound to fail
Characters and Plot
• It’s not a very long opera, at just a little over two hours. Three short ish acts and you’re done
By many counts, La Traviata is THE most frequently performed opera, beating out La Bohème, The Magic Flute and Carmen. It is certainly Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi’s most popular work, and for good reason:
• And with this great guide, you can learn everything you need to know about La Traviata in less than 30 minutes! If you prepare, you will enjoy it much more
Violetthttps://www.youtMetube.com/watch?v=afhAqMeeQJkaexcusesherselfassheisagainfeelingfaint.
Alfredo takes this opportunity to declare his love in this gorgeous duet (3’30’’). Check out the sophisticated musical structure and how the two voices play off one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrRuS1XBwckanother.
The opera opens with a traditional overture, introducing the main musical themes. Violetta hosts a large party to celebrate her recovery from illness. Alfredo is in attendance, and he has had his eye on her for quite a while
He leads the guests in a toast, the famous brindisi. You will definitely have heard this. It has become so popular, it’s nearly irritating. Watch this snippet (3’08’’) from a very traditional production at the New York
Violetta ain’t that impressed with him but later starts thinking. She is oddly attracted to him: Violetta sings her harrowingly difficult aria E strano ah forse e lui (How strange maybe he is the one). But then she concludes she prefers the partying life and it is madness to think otherwise.
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For the diligent readers: here is a snippet of the end with a sensational top note (it’s an E flat for those of you that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii_KXMTcare). 0No
Watch Anna Netrebko in the famous Salzburg Festival production which catapulted her to stardom. The aria (10’11’’) ends with a famous top note which the Russian chose not to take. Many sopranos chicken out here. Let’s see if the Opera Hong Kong Violettas dare take it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6XGfSEF Dg
Act 2
The first scene plays several months later in the country home of the Germont family And guess what? Violetta has abandoned her old life and moved in with Alfredo. Alfredo sings his famous aria (3’02’’) about the wonderful life he now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFLuKRtQQAwleads.
The 2nd act is split into two totally different scenes.
In the second scene Alfredo confronts Violetta at a party in Paris. There are dances, confrontations with other guests and things get out of control, with Alfredo finally humiliating Violetta in public.
sings until she finally relents. She leaves a farewell note for Alfredo and departs for Paris. Giorgio tries to calm his son who is understandably distraught Watch the unforgettable Russian baritone Dmitry Hvorostosvky (4’20’’). The video is grainy, but the voice is divine. And notice how long he can hold his final note.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVXpinw Xu4
Alfredo departs and Violetta sings about having finally found love and enjoying the quiet provincial life But then Giorgio Germont begs her to leave his son, as their liaison is endangering his daughter’s Hewedding.singsand
Listen to the legendary Maria Callas do the final scene in a live recording from 1958 (5’05’’) There’s no video, but you won’t need it. Notice the emotion in the voice, the spectacular musicality, and her amazing ability to control the volume, down to a whisper. You’ll see why she is a legend.
sensational duet about leaving Paris together. Giorgio joins to express his regret. Violetta takes a turn for the worse, starts fantasizing and then dies. The unforgettable climax of Traviata is one of the greatest operatic finales
The last act is set in Violetta’s bedroom in Paris. She is struggling with tuberculosis. She reads a letter from Giorgio Germont who has confessed to his son about his cruel demand She sings one of the most famous arias ever written, Addio del passato, (Farewell to the past), where she acknowledges that the end is near.
Alfredohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do4Ei7C.io2garrivesandthereunitedloversgettosinga
Watch Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho wring every last bit of emotion out of this famous aria (5’41’’)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVxahxTq1v0
Act 3
you’re already done!
Traviata is an enormously moving opera, so bring tissues. If Traviata bores you, it’s time to go back and watch Hustlers with Jennifer Lopez.
For those who want to get a real feel for the full dramatic impact of Maris Callas, here is a recently discovered video from a live 1958 performance. It features non sequential snippets, but it shows you why opera lovers go crazy over So,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP9mkH6o2KAher.
