La Traviata

Tragic romance
(The Fallen Woman)
Verdi
The one where the call-girl is a social embarrassment to her lover’s family so she gives him up,
her golden heart is broken and she succumbs to terminal TB.
CAST  
Violetta Valéry, courtesan and heroine Soprano
Annina, her maid Soprano
Alfredo Germont, lover of Violetta Tenor
Giorgio Germont, his father Baritone
Baron Douphol, Violetta’s stand-by lover Baritone
Gastone de Letorières, man about town Tenor
Flora Bervoix, friend of Violetta, society woman Mezzo
Marchese d’Obigny, elderly socialite Bass
Doctor Grenvil Bass
Servants, a messenger  
   
3 acts, 2 intervals: running time 1 hr 50 mins

STORY

Act I  Violetta’s house: suite of reception rooms

We are mixing with high society in Paris in 1850. Violetta, poule de luxe (socialite whore, a type
of woman unknown today), greets the guests to her party. Her old friend Gastone introduces
a new friend Alfredo: at dinner Gastone says Alfredo is potty about Violetta: he worships her
from afar: he visited her house every day for a bulletin when she was recently sick. Alfredo is
called on to sing a toast to love, wine etc. and pulls it off nicely.
As the company moves off to dance (it was a very brief dinner) Violetta signals her illness:
Alfredo lurks: a těte-à-těte ensues. Alfredo says he has loved her for a year. Violetta says forget
all that love stuff, I’ve quite gone off it. But she gives him a camellia and says come up and see
me sometime, maybe tomorrow.
The company returns: everyone says their farewells: Violetta is left alone: now she’s not so
certain she has gone off love altogether: she hears Alfredo singing distant farewells (no double
glazing): now she’s definitely uncertain.

Act II Sc 1  A room in a French country house

Alfredo comes in from shooting: his happy thoughts about rural bliss in his ménage à deux are
shattered by Annina announcing that Madam sent her to Paris to keep the brokers’ men at bay

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by selling the family silver: a thousand ECUs required a.s.a.p. Alfredo is confounded: thoughts
of money never entered his mind (sweet man!) — gosh! Zut! Quel blague! He resolves to go to
Paris to sort things out.
Violetta gets an invitation to Flora’s party in Paris. A visitor arrives, namely Germont,
Alfredo’s Dad. He accuses Violetta of living on immoral earnings namely Germont family
money. She refutes this: she never took a centime. He tells her Alfredo’s sister’s wedding is
threatened by the disgrace of Alfredo consorting with a high-class whore: she must give him
up. For a short time? asks Violetta. For ever Germont replies. Anguish, shock, despair, tears,
concession: yes she will give him up. Good girl says Germont, goodbye. Alfredo enters. He has
a confused encounter with Violetta but he (sweet, but a bit of a thickie) does not twig. Love me
forever and goodbye says Violetta. Isn’t she a darling says he.
Alfredo reads the bad news in Violetta’s letter: gone for good (true motive for departure
concealed): he is devastated. Germont reappears: come back and join your loving family says
Father: naff off, you interfering old sod says Alfredo: he sees Flora’s invitation: I’ll catch up
with her there he says.

Act II Sc 2  A party room in Flora’s house

Flora’s party is in full swing: what in ballet terms would be a divertissement — namely colourful
padding, gypsies, toreadors. Alfredo arrives: Violetta comes in with Baron Douphol: tension
builds: Violetta wishes she’d stayed home. Alfredo plays cards (nature of game obscure) with
Gastone: he wins: the Baron challenges Alfredo to a game: Alfredo wins a fortune.
Then it’s supper break: Violetta slips out and Alfredo joins her at her request: she says hop
it the Baron is out for your blood: he says not on your life and do you really love that ghastly
Baron Douphol? She says yes (a lie of course). Alfredo calls everyone in from supper: he says
this woman spent all her money on me now I pay her back: he chucks all his winnings at her
feet. Germont is outraged at such appalling behaviour in a member of his high-class French
family: Alfredo is remorseful: the Baron breathes fire and revenge: Violetta hopes one day
Alfredo will have the full story: the guests think this is the act of a cad: he should be slung out.

Act III  The bedroom in Violetta’s house

Violetta is dying of TB: Annina nurses her. Doctor Grenvil visits her and tells traditional
doctorly fibs about how she will recover soon: Violetta is not fooled. The carnival is on: Annina
is sent to give money (not much left) to the poor. Violetta reads a letter from Germont: the
Baron has been wounded in a duel, Alfredo has gone abroad: he is coming back to see her.
A masked [how do we know? Ed.] chorus passes under the window: Alfredo arrives. The
lovers are in ecstasy: they make plans for a new joint residence in the country: Violetta attempts
to dress: she falls back weak as a kitten clearly dying: the lovers rage a bit against fate.
The doctor and Germont (appropriately guilty) arrive: Violetta gives Alfredo a portrait of
herself and generously says if he finds another woman to give it to her [Is this a good idea? Ed.]
then gently and pathetically expires. One of the most famous deaths in all opera.

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LOOK OUT FOR

Act I
MINUTES FROM THE START
0*
8: Libiamo ne ‘lieti calici**
13: Un dì felice*
14: Ah, se ciò è ver**
19: È strano! È strano!*
The great brooding melody0 of the prelude moves into an oom-pah can-can-ish
accompaniment to the arrival of the guests and it continues to bang on under all the opening
hellos.
    The brindisi8 (a song ending in a toast to something or other): very lively, very catchy, very
wellknown. It drifts on with an ensemble chorus for some while.
    Alfredo’s first love song,13 agreeable but dim: Violetta’s reply14 much more sparky; duologue
continues over ballroom muzak in waltz time.*
    Violetta’s big set-piece emotional recitatif19 followed by her aria** which climaxes in a burst
of birdlike melody plus fireworks and finishes with a rousing cabaletta: Alfredo bleating in the
distance very effective.

Act II Sc 1
MINUTES FROM THE START
4: O mio rimorso!*
9: Pura siccome un angelo**
14: Un dì quando le veneri**
20: Ah! dite alla giovine**
22: Imponete***
25: Morrò!
29: Amami, Alfredo***
35: No, non udrai rimproveri*
Alfredo still in shooting togs is remorseful about his inattention to the matter of housekeeping
money; a nice vigorous cavatina.4
    After elegantly phrased exchanges in recitatif the great duet between Germont and Violetta:
at first a number of short solos: next Germont’s statement of his case in measured tones9 then
Violetta’s shocked response first in broken phrases soon leading to a passionate lyrical outburst:
Germont’s second innings, again to a restrained refrain of great beauty:14 Violetta concedes in
a tearful and hushed solo20 leading to tender exchanges between both in a marvellously crafted
duet:22 now they lapse into recitatif as the enormity of the decision sinks in: after that a final
bout of duetting25 (Violetta: If I die please tell him why I did this, Germont: You’re a wonderful
girl and virtue will bring its reward), then the coda made up of the final affecting goodbyes.
    The confused scene between Alfredo and Violetta ends in her passionate demand: LOVE ME!
expressed in a phrase of great intensity29 as she runs into the garden.
    Germont’s attempts to win over his son do not match his recent and much better performance
with Violetta. This time, the call to Alfredo to rejoin the family nest sung to a debonair little
tune,35 fails — and the scene ends with Alfredo’s noisy walkout.

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Act II Sc 2
MINUTES FROM THE START
44: Ah, perchè venni**
47: Invitato a qui sequirmi*
51: Di sprezzo degno se stesso***
Gypsies, toreadors, etc. perform and sing to ballet music: then once this pantomime stuff is
out of the way crafty Verdi builds the tension adroitly through terse exchanges over an excited
orchestra: Violetta several times interjects her prayer for mercy:44 as things are about to climax
the announcement of supper lets the air out of the balloon.
    The tense scene between the star-crossed lovers: emotional exchanges47 over a walking bass.
    The wonderful ‘thinks’ finale:51 original, subtle, tuneful and rhythmically varied as never
before. Germont has a sweet sad plaint (Can this be my boy?), Alfredo quite fed up with himself
(What a shit I am), the chorus hushed, shocked, embarrassed (Poor Violetta: my God how
awful), Germont in a second coming (The girl’s a brick), the Baron (I’ll get you yet Alfredo),
Violetta (If only he knew how I love him). It begins softly and variously with many of the asides
whispered: it gains vigour and begins to swing; it ends in surging mezzo forte of shame, regret,
despair with public sympathy expressed by one and all.

Act III
MINUTES FROM THE START
0**
12: Addio del passato**
14: O mia Violetta**
19: Ah! Gran Dio!**
23: Se una pudica vergine***
The prelude:0 plangent strings with a strong message of grief set the mood and continue
as background support to the exchanges between Annina and Violetta in the early part of the
scene.
    After reading Germont’s letter Violetta has a surge of energy: is Alfredo leaving it too late?
Those were really happy times we had together — a touching nostalgic little song.12
    Alfredo appears: a duet of pure happiness:14 first the breathless joy of being together and
then plans to set up house together (a mirage) in more measured tones.
    Violetta’s slow march to her death — there is a brave adieu to life by the lovers in music that
makes as if to defy death:19 the last hushed ensemble begins with Violetta’s gift to Alfredo
of her picture over a funeral march accompaniment; Alfredo urges her to live: Germont is
overcome by guilt: and Violetta soars into her last aria23 generously urging Alfredo to find
happiness with another: with one final exclamation (‘GIOIA!’) she dies and the last muttered
words of grief fade into the final curtain.

NOTES
La Traviata     Verdi’s nineteenth opera
First night     Teatro la Fenice, Venice, 6 March 1853
Reception ‘Complete fiasco,’ wrote Verdi. But the critics liked it

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Libretto Piave
Alexandre Dumas’ play La Dame aux camélias. See
Source below

NEWS AND GOSSIP

There is a legend surrounding the Traviata story, namely that Alexandre Dumas the younger
met a courtesan, one Marie Plessis, at a party in Paris; went to bed with her that night and set
up a ménage à deux in a country house near Paris. Dumas then wrote his novel in which a young
man meets a courtesan at a party in Paris etc. (Marie did not have TB, did not pay Dumas’ bills
but did swan off back to Paris and her Baron Douphol and did die at the age of 23.) Dumas
turned his novel (La Dame aux camélias) into a play: a huge success. Verdi may have seen the
play. (He was in Paris on 2 February 1852, the night of the premiere, certainly.) He must have
read the reviews which were raves. Nothing further is known until January 1853 when we find
him and Piave working on the libretto two months before the first night. Traviata eventually
became one of the top ten in Italy and even during Verdi’s eclipse a regular in the rep. of most
international houses. Dumas’ original story has spawned a huge brood of operas, films, ballets,
etc., and star Violettas (Marguerites) have included Bernhardt, Garbo, Callas and Fonteyn, all
of them splendid realizations of the legendary whore with a heart of gold.

COMMENT
Traviata is the first grown-up opera about contemporary life and thus a milestone in opera
history. Verdi made no PR fuss about the fact that he was abandoning historical subjects
(Nabucco, Lombardi, Ernani, Attila) period drama (Macbeth, Rigoletto) and farrago plots such as
Trovatore, for real-life verismo. Not that Traviata is a drama-doc but it is first in a stream of
stories of romantic realism that he passed on to Puccini and were to become the main stock
in trade of Hollywood for over half a century. It is a lovely story, aimed directly at the heart,
and it is one of those properties (handled with even a modicum of talent) that is bullet-proof
in print, on stage or on the screen. Verdi clearly fell in love with Violetta and indeed with the
whole opera and he deployed all his now formidable powers as an opera composer to produce
one of his most perfect scores. Violetta has the best music, from her first big aria in Act I (‘È
strano!’), the great duet (the heart of the opera) with Germont in the second act, to the last
desolate scene which brings us close to death itself and takes us towards her own death in a
wonderfully well devised and varied series of steps, each one musically deepening the sense of
pity we feel for this very unfortunate lady. It is a long death but it does not seem a slow one. It is
true that the gypsies and the toreadors at Flora’s party break the narrative flow and that, thinly
supported by Verdi’s Class II film/ballet music, their purpose can only be to add six minutes to
an already short opera, or to fall in with the dreadful French practice of ruining good operas by
packing bad ballets into them. Apart from this there are no longueurs. Two very similar parties
are perhaps one too many and the final confrontation between Alfredo and the Baron Douphol
is fluffed (on purpose? to avoid distraction from the main story line?) but overall the dramatic
structure of Traviata works like a dream and a dream supported by some inspired musical
ideas, such as the ‘thinks’ finale to Act II, and the use of the prelude theme throughout the
beginning of Act III. So Traviata is a great opera: the music speaks to us directly: Verdi’s feeling

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for Violetta finds an instant echo in our feelings: we believe in the characters — ordinary people
like you and me, not queens, troubadours or warriors. We can take the opera to our hearts lock,
stock and barrel with any picky reservations overwhelmed by the warmth and pathos of the
story of La Dame aux camélias. Alpha-plus.

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