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50-419: A typical year contains four festivals of one week each: Major opera productions at Festspielhaus Baden-Baden to date include La traviata ( Valery Gergiev , conductor / Philippe Arlaud , director, 2001), Fidelio ( Simone Young , conductor / Philippe Arlaud, director, 2002), Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Marc Minkowski, conductor / Macha Makeïeff and Jérôme Deschamps , directors, 2003), The Ring of

100-470: A courtesan. She responds that she cannot end the relationship because she loves Alfredo so much, but Giorgio pleads with her for the sake of his family. With growing remorse, she finally agrees (Violetta, Giorgio: Dite alla giovine, sì bella e pura, – "Tell the young girl, so beautiful and pure,") and says goodbye to Giorgio. In a gesture of gratitude for her kindness and sacrifice, Giorgio kisses her forehead before leaving her weeping alone. Violetta gives

150-511: A duet with Alfredo, Violetta suddenly revives, exclaiming that the pain and discomfort have left her. A moment later, she dies in Alfredo's arms. The opera uses an orchestra with the following instrumentation : 2 flutes (fl. 2 doubling piccolo ), 2 oboes , 2 clarinets , 2 bassoons , 4 horns , 2 trumpets , 3 trombones , harp , cimbasso , timpani , cymbals , bass drum , triangle , strings . Banda : Verdi did not fully orchestrate

200-429: A failure. Was the fault mine or the singers'? Time will tell." Coincidentally, as Philips-Matz points out, an Italian translation of the play La Dame aux camélias was being presented just a short distance from La Fenice. While there were demands for productions from impresarios in various Italian cities, Verdi was loath to allow them unless he could be sure of the strength of the singers, and in spite of their pleas,

250-476: A letter from Alfredo's father telling her that the Baron was only wounded in his duel with Alfredo. He has informed Alfredo of the sacrifice she has made for him and his sister; and he is sending his son to see her as quickly as possible to ask for her forgiveness. But Violetta senses it is too late (Violetta: Addio, del passato bei sogni ridenti – "Farewell, lovely, happy dreams of the past"). Annina rushes into

300-443: A note to Annina to send to Flora accepting the party invitation and, as she is writing a farewell letter to Alfredo, he enters. She can barely control her sadness and tears; she tells him repeatedly of her unconditional love (Violetta: Amami, Alfredo, amami quant'io t'amo – "Love me, Alfredo, love me as I love you"). Before rushing out and setting off for Paris, she hands the farewell letter to her servant to give to Alfredo. Soon,

350-613: A permanent exhibition of objects and documents related to Verdi and his relationship to the Barezzis. These two of Busseto's ten churches ( chiese ) were where Verdi played the organ. Santa Maria degli Angeli has its own article as does San_Michele_Arcangelo, Busseto  [ it ] . This is the large, ornate house which Verdi bought in 1845. He lived there with Giuseppina Strepponi , not yet his wife, from 1849 to 1851. Verdi composed Luisa Miller , Stiffelio and Rigoletto while living there. The Teatro Giuseppe Verdi

400-512: A short time, a synopsis was dispatched to Venice under the title of Amore e morte ( Love and Death ). However, Verdi wrote to his friend De Sanctis telling him that "for Venice I'm doing La Dame aux camélias which will probably be called La traviata . A subject for our own age." Although still bogged down at Sant'Agata, Piave was sanguine: "Everything will turn out fine, and we'll have a new masterpiece from this true wizard of modern harmonies". When back at Sant'Agata in late January 1853 Verdi

450-473: A woman renders himself deserving of contempt."). Flora and the ladies attempt to persuade Violetta to leave the dining room, but Violetta turns to Alfredo (Violetta: Alfredo, Alfredo, di questo core non-puoi comprendere tutto l'amore... – "Alfredo, Alfredo, you can't understand all the love in this heart..."). Violetta's bedroom Dr. Grenvil tells Annina that Violetta will not live long since her tuberculosis has worsened. Alone in her room, Violetta reads

500-558: A young woman dying of consumption . (Verdi had previously attempted to persuade the manager of La Fenice to re-cast the role with a younger woman, but with no success.) Nevertheless, the first act was met with applause and cheering at the end; but in the second act, the audience began to turn against the performance, especially after the singing of the baritone Felice Varesi and the tenor Lodovico Graziani . The next day, Verdi wrote to his friend Emanuele Muzio in what has now become perhaps his most famous letter: " La traviata last night

550-413: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . La traviata La traviata ( Italian: [la traviˈaːta, -aˈvjaː-] ; The Fallen Woman ) is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave . It is based on La Dame aux camélias (1852), a play by Alexandre Dumas fils , which he adapted from his own 1848 novel. The opera

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600-743: Is a small 300-seat theatre built by the municipality without Verdi's prior approval however he donated towards its completion. The National Museum of Giuseppe Verdi is housed at the Renaissance Villa Pallavicino; it was inaugurated on 10, October 2009, the 196th anniversary of the composer's birth. In the nearby village of Sant'Agata, in the province of Piacenza , is the Villa Verdi , the house which he commissioned in 1848 while living in Busseto and where his parents lived until 1851, after which it became Verdi's main home for

650-631: Is among the most frequently performed of all operas. For Verdi, the years 1851 to 1853 were filled with operatic activity. First, he had agreed with the librettist Salvadore Cammarano on a subject for what would become Il trovatore , but work on this opera could not proceed while the composer was writing Rigoletto , which premiered in Venice in March 1851. In addition, personal affairs in his home town limited his activities that spring, but after Rigoletto ' s success in Venice, an additional commission

700-451: Is announced and demands that she break off her relationship with his son for the sake of his family, since he reveals that Violetta's relationship with Alfredo has threatened his daughter's engagement (Giorgio: Pura siccome un angelo, iddio mi diè una figlia – "Pure as an angel, God gave me a daughter") because of Violetta's reputation. Meanwhile, he reluctantly becomes impressed by Violetta's nobility, something which he did not expect from

750-468: Is heard singing about love as he walks down the street. Scene 1: Violetta's country house outside Paris Three months later, Alfredo and Violetta are living together in a peaceful country house outside Paris. Violetta has fallen in love with Alfredo and she has completely abandoned her former life. Alfredo sings of their happy life together (Alfredo: De' miei bollenti spiriti / Il giovanile ardore – "The youthful ardor of my ebullient spirits"). Annina,

800-538: Is ready. Alfredo leaves with handfuls of money. As everyone is leaving the room, Violetta has asked Alfredo to see her. Fearing that the Baron's anger will lead him to challenge Alfredo to a duel, she gently asks Alfredo to leave. Alfredo misunderstands her apprehension and demands that she admit that she loves the Baron. In grief, she makes that admission and, furiously, Alfredo calls the guests to witness what he has to say ( Questa donna conoscete? – "You know this woman?"). He humiliates and denounces Violetta in front of

850-416: Is set there. In the town and locally many sites linked to the life of Verdi can be visited. These include: The nearby village of Le Roncole was Verdi's birthplace on 10 October 1813. The house has been a national monument since 1901. Close by the main square is the home of Antonio Barezzi, the man who supported his early endeavours. He became Verdi's patron and his father-in-law. In the upstairs lounge,

900-495: Is something about Alfredo that touches her heart. He is about to leave when she gives him a flower, telling him to return it when it has wilted, which will be the very next day. After the guests leave, Violetta wonders if Alfredo could actually be the one in her life (Violetta: È strano! ... Ah, fors' è lui – "Ah, perhaps he is the one"). But she concludes that she needs freedom to live her life (Violetta, Alfredo: Sempre libera – "Always free"). From off stage, Alfredo's voice

950-838: The Théâtre-Italien at the Salle Ventadour in Paris, and on 27 October 1864 in French as Violetta (an adaptation by Édouard Duprez, older brother of the tenor Gilbert Duprez ) at the Théâtre Lyrique on the Place du Châtelet with Christina Nilsson in the title role. The French adaptation of the libretto was published in 1865. According to the Encyclopædia Britannica , La traviata became one of

1000-539: The 13th century keep and the main tower. La Rocca, within which lies the Teatro Verdi, it is now the Municipal Palace, the seat of the municipality of Busseto. Opera composer Giuseppe Verdi was born in the nearby village of Le Roncole in 1813 and he moved to the town in 1824. Other figures from the world of opera are associated with the town: until his death, retired tenor Carlo Bergonzi owned

1050-577: The Dumas novel some time before, and, after seeing the play and returning to Italy, "he was already setting up an ideal operatic cast for it in his mind", shown by his dealings with La Fenice. Francesco Maria Piave was engaged to write the new libretto and the two men tried to come up with a suitable subject, but the composer complained that his librettist "had not yet offered him an 'original' or 'provocative' idea". Writing to Piave, he added that "I don't want any of those everyday subjects that one can find by

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1100-935: The La Fenice performances] it was a fiasco; now it has created a furore. Draw your own conclusions!" reported Piave (who had overseen the production in Verdi's absence). The opera (in the revised version) was first performed in Madrid on 1 February 1855 with Spezia-Aldighieri at Teatro Real , in Vienna on 4 May 1855 in Italian and in Barcelona on 25 October at Gran Teatre del Liceu . It was first performed in England on 24 May 1856 in Italian at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, where it

1150-473: The Nibelung (Valery Gergiev, musical direction and concept / George Tsypin, stage design, 2003/2004), Rigoletto ( Thomas Hengelbrock , conductor / Philippe Arlaud, director, 2004), Parsifal ( Kent Nagano , conductor / Nikolaus Lehnhoff, director, 2004) and Die Zauberflöte ( Claudio Abbado , conductor / Daniele Abbado, director, 2005). This article about an opera company or opera festival

1200-439: The chosen soprano, the 38-year-old Fanny Salvini-Donatelli for taking the role of Violetta. Verdi was distraught, for he held on to the notion that the opera could be staged in modern dress—as Stiffelio had been done—Piave was sent back to Sant'Agata to no avail: he could not persuade the composer to back down on his insistence that another soprano be secured, yet the 15 January deadline for securing one had come and gone. Verdi

1250-478: The composer refused. As Budden notes, it came to be Venice "that made an honest woman of Violetta" when Verdi allowed a performance at the Teatro San Benedetto . Some revisions took place between 1853 and May 1854, mostly affecting acts 2 and 3, but the opera was performed again on 6 May 1854 and was a great success, largely due to Maria Spezia-Aldighieri 's portrayal of Violetta. "Then [referring to

1300-638: The desk, strengthens his suspicions. He decides to confront Violetta at the party. Giorgio tries to stop Alfredo, but he rushes out. Scene 2: Party at Flora's house At the party, the Marquis tells Flora that Violetta and Alfredo have separated, much to the amazement of everyone who had previously seen the happy couple. She calls for the entertainers to perform for the guests (Chorus: Noi siamo zingarelle venute da lontano – "We are gypsy girls who have come from afar"; Di Madride noi siam mattadori – "We are matadors from Madrid"). Gastone and his friends join

1350-431: The eleventh century. In the first half of the thirteenth century, it was laid out afresh to figure a moat and a drawbridge facing the square. Successive damage which lost the drawbridge and parts of the walls was followed by alterations and partial rebuilding. In 1857 its bulk was rebuilt almost entirely in neo-Gothic style – under theatre architect Pier Luigi Montecchini (b.1822, d. 1887). Its present form has preserved

1400-418: The first act of the opera, creating a Parisian atmosphere). The concluding part of Violetta's solo scene that ends the first act is full of vocal decoration and feverish ornamentation as she swears to stay free ("Sempre libera"). These coloratura effects are not required for the character after the first act. The lengthy and crucial duet between the elder Germont and Violetta in act 2 is multi-sectioned with

1450-544: The first act, to the more dramatic passages of the second, and the spiritual quality of her music as she dies in act 3. Busseto Busseto ( Bussetano : Büsé ; Parmigiano : Busèjj ) is a comune in the province of Parma , in Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy with about 6,763 inhabitants. Its history is quite well documented back to the 10th century, and for almost five hundred years it

1500-559: The guests and then throws his winnings at her feet in payment for her services. She faints onto the floor. The guests reprimand Alfredo ( Di donne ignobile insultatore, di qua allontanati, ne desti orror! - "Ignoble insulter of women, go away from here, you fill us with horror!"). In search of his son, Giorgio enters the hall and, knowing the real significance of the scene, denounces his son's behavior (Giorgio, Alfredo, Violetta, chorus: Di sprezzo degno sè stesso rende chi pur nell'ira la donna offende. – "A man, who even in anger, offends

1550-588: The hotel I due Foscari , which also hosts the Accademia Verdiana . Bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni grew up there from the age of four after his family moved to Busseto in 1979, where his father owned a car-repair firm and his mother was a teacher. It was in that town where, he noted, "you feel Verdi's spirit all over the place!" and where his love of opera began. Italian journalist Giovannino Guareschi also lived in Le Roncole, and his Mondo Piccolo

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1600-468: The hundreds." But at the same time, the composer expressed concern about censorship in Venice, something with which he was very familiar after his dealings with the censors concerning Rigoletto . As the months dragged on into October, it was agreed that Piave would come to Sant'Agata (Verdi's home near Busseto ) and work with the composer. One subject was chosen, Piave set to work, and then Verdi threw in another idea, which may have been La traviata . Within

1650-616: The joyful cups"). From the next room, the sound of the orchestra is heard and the guests move there to dance. After a series of severe coughs and almost fainting, Violetta begins to feel dizzy and asks her guests to go ahead and to leave her to rest until she recovers. While the guests dance in the next room, Violetta looks at her pale face in her mirror. Alfredo enters and expresses his concern for her fragile health, later declaring his love for her (Alfredo, Violetta: Un dì, felice, eterea – "One day, happy and ethereal"). At first, she rejects him because his love means nothing to her, but there

1700-428: The maid, arrives from Paris, and, when questioned by Alfredo, tells him that she went there to sell the horses, carriages and everything owned by Violetta to support their country lifestyle. Alfredo is shocked to learn this and leaves for Paris immediately to settle matters himself. Violetta returns home and receives an invitation from her friend, Flora, to a party in Paris that evening. Alfredo's father, Giorgio Germont,

1750-479: The matadors and sing (Gastone, chorus, dancers: È Piquillo un bel gagliardo Biscaglino mattador – "Piquillo is a bold and handsome matador from Biscay"). Violetta arrives with Baron Douphol. They see Alfredo at the gambling table. When he sees them, Alfredo loudly proclaims that he will take Violetta home with him. Feeling annoyed, the Baron goes to the gambling table and joins him in a game. As they bet, Alfredo wins some large sums until Flora announces that supper

1800-521: The most frequently performed operas during Verdi's lifetime. It is often ranked highly on annual lists of most performed operas. The salon in Violetta's house Violetta Valéry, a famed courtesan , throws a lavish party at her Paris salon to celebrate her recovery from an illness. Gastone, a viscount , has brought with him a friend, Alfredo Germont, a young bourgeois from a provincial family who has long adored Violetta from afar. While walking to

1850-406: The music following the changing dramatic situation. La traviata is the only one of Verdi's many operas to be set entirely indoors. Unlike Il trovatore , which was composed simultaneously, La traviata is an intimate piece, full of tender lyricism. The character of Violetta dominates the work and her music changes as she develops through the drama, from the hectic, almost hysterical coloratura of

1900-403: The opera begins with very soft, very high strings depicting the frail heroine, followed by the main love theme of the opera, which is then played on lower strings while the higher instruments decorate the melody. This delicate atmosphere is altered on curtain rise by lively dance tunes in the orchestra. After the famous "Brindisi", an offstage band plays a series of waltzes (waltz rhythms pervade

1950-478: The parts of the on-stage band, but rather composed it in the style of a piano reduction, leaving the actual realization to the person in charge of the band. Over the years many versions were created, varying from theater to theater depending on the instruments available, but none of them is authoritative. A widespread version is: 1 piccolo, 4 clarinets, 2 horns, flugelhorn , 3 trumpets, at least 2 trombones, low brasses (number unspecified), bass drum. The prelude to

2000-584: The plot's immoral, but I don't see that it's so much worse than many others, not to speak of Don Giovanni , which as put on the stage is little but rampant lechery", while the Evening Post critic wrote: "Those who have quietly sat through the glaring improprieties of Don Giovanni will hardly blush or frown at anything in La traviata ." The opera was first performed in France on 6 December 1856 in Italian by

2050-432: The room to tell Violetta of Alfredo's arrival. The lovers are reunited and Alfredo suggests that they leave Paris (Alfredo, Violetta: Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo – "We will leave Paris, O beloved"). But it is too late: she knows her death approaches (Alfredo, Violetta: Gran Dio!...morir sì giovane – "Great God!...to die so young"). Alfredo's father enters with the doctor, regretting what he has done. After singing

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2100-486: The salon, Gastone tells Violetta that Alfredo loves her, and that while she was ill, he came to her house every day. Alfredo joins them, admitting the truth of Gastone's remarks. Baron Douphol, Violetta's current lover, waits nearby to escort her to the salon. Once there, the Baron is asked to give a toast, but refuses, and the crowd turns to Alfredo, who agrees to sing a brindisi – a drinking song (Alfredo, Violetta, chorus: Libiamo ne' lieti calici – "Let's drink from

2150-465: The servant brings the letter to Alfredo and, as soon as he has read it, Giorgio returns and attempts to comfort his son, reminding him of his family in Provence (Giorgio: Di Provenza il mar, il suol chi dal cor ti cancellò? – "Who erased the sea, the land of Provence from your heart?"). Alfredo suspects that the Baron is behind his separation from Violetta, and the party invitation, which he finds on

2200-460: The young Verdi gave his first public performance in 1830 and continued to frequent the house until the death of his benefactor. The first portrait of Verdi and an oil depicting Antonio are on display in the house. Verdi's letters are displayed. This house is the headquarters of the Friends of Verdi; the organization oversaw the restoration of the building in 1979 and 1998. Since 2001, there has been

2250-841: Was considered morally questionable, and "the heads of the Church did their best to put an injunction upon performance; the Queen refrained from visiting the theatre during the performances, though the music, words and all, were not unheard at the palace". It was first performed in the United States by the Max Maretzek Italian Opera Company on 3 December 1856 in Italian at the Academy of Music in New York. George Templeton Strong noted in his diary: "People say

2300-420: Was filled with premonitions of disaster upon his arrival in Venice on 21 February for rehearsals and he made his unhappiness clear to the singers. The audience jeered at times during the premiere, directing some of their scorn at the casting of soprano Fanny Salvini-Donatelli in the lead role of Violetta. Though she was an acclaimed singer, they considered her to be too old (at 38) and overweight to credibly play

2350-532: Was offered by Brenna, the secretary of La Fenice. Verdi and Giuseppina Strepponi visited Paris from late 1851 and into March 1852. In February the couple attended a performance of Alexander Dumas fils ' s The Lady of the Camellias . As a result of this, Verdi's biographer Mary Jane Phillips-Matz reports, the composer immediately began to compose music for what would later become La traviata . However, Julian Budden notes that Verdi had probably read

2400-497: Was originally titled Violetta , after the main character. It was first performed on 6 March 1853 at La Fenice opera house in Venice. Piave and Verdi wanted to follow Dumas in giving the opera a contemporary setting, but the authorities at La Fenice insisted that it be set in the past, "c. 1700". It was not until the 1880s that the composer's and librettist's original wishes were carried out and " realistic " productions were staged. La traviata has become immensely popular and

2450-406: Was reminded that his contract called for him to be in Venice within a week or two and for the premiere to be held on the "first Saturday in March 1853". However, it soon became clear that a modern-dress staging of the new opera was impossible—the requirement was that it should be set in the 17th century "in the era of Richelieu "—and reports from the opening of the season confirmed the limitations of

2500-530: Was the capital of Stato Pallavicino, which eventually became part of the Duchy of Parma . The town is about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) south of Cremona in Lombardy . The first written sources give the name as "Buxetum" in the early twelfth century. As such it appears the town's name is cognate with: The town hosts La Rocca, on the site of the founding fortress of Adalberto Pallavicini, scion of his family, in

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