La Traviata

La traviata was Giuseppe Verdi's eighteenth opera and shows him at the height of his middle-period powers. Adapted from La Dame aux camelias by Alexandre Dumas fils, it portrays the love between the courtesan Violetta Valery and the young Alfredo Germont in fashionable Parisian society, with its inevitable tragic outcome. It had its premiere at La Fenice in Venice in 1853 and has gone on to become one of the most performed and greatly loved of all operas.There are articles in the guide about Verdi's preparations for the first performances, a musical commentary, an overview of the opera's social background and an examination of how the libretto was adapted from Dumas's play. Also included are a survey of important performances and performers, sixteen pages of illustrations, a musical thematic guide, the full libretto and English translation, a discography, bibliography and DVD and website guides.Contains:An Introduction to La traviata, Nicholas JohnLa traviata: From Real Life to Opera, Denis ArnoldVerdi and La traviata: Two Routes to Realism, Roger ParkerConspicuous Consumption: Violetta as Symptom and Subversive, Anna PicardLa traviata: A Selected Performance History, Hugo ShirleyLa traviata: Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave after the play La Dame aux camelias by Alexandre Dumas filsLa traviata: English translation by Andrew Huth