LA
TRAVIATA
Giuseppe
Verdi (1813–1901)
Giuseppe
Verdi in 1871
01
- La Traviata
La
Traviata, the third and last opera of Verdi's popular trilogy
also including Rigoletto and Il Trovatore, is based on Alexander
Dumas son's play La Dame aux camelias. The Dumas' play in
turn is based on the real life of Alphonsine Duplessis (1824-47).
The
opera was faithful to the events in the French play so that
all criticism which was thrown at the story was also directed
to the opera. An upper class prostitute, Violetta, who sacrificed
herself for love and appeared as a victim of society, did
not go well with mid 1800 morality which at best could accept
only her redemption. At the Teatro La Fenice in Venice on
6 March 1853, La Traviata world premiere was a flop. Verdi
proclaimed in his query: "Is the fault mine or of the
singers? Time will tell".
Within
a year and after some significant rather than extensive changes,
Verdi presented it at San Benedetto, a less prestigious opera
house in Venice . La Traviata was a resounding success, the
main reason being the soprano Maria Spezia, a young, frail
and realistic Violetta. The opera travelled all over the world
triumphantly.
The
plot line
Summary
– Violetta Valéry,
a Paris courtesan, is suffering from tuberculosis and in love
with Alfredo, a young man of respectable breed. She makes
a heroic sacrifice of her only true love by giving him up
since she will cause a social embarrassment to his lover's
family. Her golden heart is broken and she succumbs to her
illness.
Act
I
– In her Paris salon, the courtesan Violetta
Valéry greets party guests, including Flora Bervoix,
the Marquis d'Obigny, Baron Douphol and Gastone, who introduces
a new admirer, Alfredo Germont. This young man, having adored
Violetta from afar, joins her in a drinking song "Libiamo".
An orchestra is heard in the next room but as guests move
there to dance Violetta has a fainting spell, sends the guests
on ahead and goes to her parlour to recover. Alfredo comes
in. Since they are alone, he confesses his love "Un dì
felice". Violetta confesses that love means nothing to
her. The young man's sincerity touches her, however, and she
promises to meet him the next day. After the guests have departed,
Violetta wonders if Alfredo could be the man she could love
"Ah, fors'è lui". However, she decides she
wants freedom "Sempre libera".
Act
II
– Some
months later, however, Alfredo and Violetta live in a country
villa near Paris, where he praises their contentment "De'
miei bollenti spiriti". Violetta finds an invitation
from Flora to a party that night. Trouble starts with the
appearance of Alfredo's father. He demands her to renounce
his son. The scandal of their affair threatens his daughter's
engagement, who is "Pura siccome un angelo". Violetta
says she cannot but Germont eventually convinces her who says,
"Dite alla giovine". Alone, the desolate courtesan
sends a message of acceptance to Flora and writes a farewell
note to Alfredo. A servant hands Alfredo her farewell note
as Germont returns to console him and recalls family life
in Provence "Di Provenza il mare". Seeing Flora's
invitation, Alfredo suspects that Violetta has abandoned him
for another lover. Furiously, he determines to confront her
at the party.
At
her soirée that evening, Flora learns that Violetta
and Alfredo have parted.The floor is cleared for hired entertainers.
Alfredo strides in, makes bitter comments about love and reckless
gambling at cards. Violetta arrives with Baron Douphol, who
challenges Alfredo to a game but loses a small fortune. Everyone
goes in for supper but Violetta asks Alfredo to stay. Fearful
of the Baron's anger, she wants Alfredo to leave but he does
not understand her apprehension and demands that she confesses
she loves Douphol. Crushed, she pretends she does. Alfredo
calls in the others, denounces his former lover and hurls
his winnings at her feet "Questa donna conoscete?"
Germont enters in time to see the drama and denounces his
son's behaviour. The guests rebuke Alfredo and Douphol challenges
him to a duel.
Act
III – In
Violetta's bedroom six months later, Dr. Grenvil tells Annina
that her mistress has not long to live because tuberculosis
is claiming her. Alone, Violetta rereads a letter from Germont
saying that the Baron was only wounded in his duel with Alfredo,
who is aware and on his way to beg her pardon. Violetta senses
it is too late "Addio del passato". Paris is celebrating
Mardi Gras and revellers dance merrily outside. Annina rushes
in to announce Alfredo. The lovers ecstatically fall in each
other arms and plan to leave Paris forever "Parigi, o
cara". Germont enters with the doctor and Violetta is
seized by a last ounce of strength. Feeling that life is returning,
she rises to her feet but staggers and falls dead at her lover's
feet.
The
opera
Verdi,
the gigantic and supreme composer of opera together with Wagner
and Mozart, was a romantic, Italian style. In the play, he
saw the heroine, Violetta, fall by the way side, fall deeply
in love and make an ultimate sacrifice. He envisaged ingredients
of a superb and dramatic plot to set to music. Hence, he provided
for an assiduous civilian layout but music which paints a
private affair, sometimes tender and other times heated and
intense, reaching a finale which is sad but morally positive.
Verdi
was convinced that La Traviata needed a singing actress more
than a top soprano voice to achieve success. Accordingly,
early in the life of the opera, Verdi favoured sopranos of
modest weight vocally but gifted with "great talent,
soul and scenic feelings." He demanded vocality full
of piani, pianissimi and mezze voci from all the three protagonists.
In
1891, George Bernard Shaw, the celebrated dramatic author,
novelist and critic, called La Traviata "a much more
real and powerful work than Carmen" at that time the
role model of Verismo. The overriding emotion in the Verdi's
masterpiece is real, powerful and is reflected in ductile
and suffused fraseggio which weaves through a fined down music
score.
Verdi
reacted against the libretto' sentimentality which glossed
over Violetta's relationship with baron Douphol within an
ambiguous circle of socialites. When an over sweet interpretation
of Violetta was given at a performance in Rome , the composer
wrote bluffly to a friend there, exclaiming: "A whore
must always be a whore!"
La
Traviata has perhaps the richest psychological inner being
of all romantic opera. The music reflects Verdi's new direction
towards a fine psychological drama. Delicate and complex characters
move in a banquet hall, salon, country villa and bedroom.
The figure of Violetta predominates with her genuine, delicate
and selfless inner life within these contemporary settings
and dramatic realism.
Whether
through awareness or intuition, Verdi gives Violetta a vocality
in which the traits of tuberculosis, a sufferance par excellence
in the Romantic period, are exalted. The tessitura takes the
soprano from steps of agile coloratura to very high notes,
forcing her to a rhythm of anxious and difficult breathing.
The
anxiety and difficulty configure intense and neurotic excitement
in the role and appear in various moments of the opera. A
role determinant is the use of mezza voce, piano and pianissimo
to reflect Violetta' solitude, melancholy, intimate despair,
regret and sense of looming death.
02
- The opera performers
DVD
Verdi's La Traviata performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent
Garden, in 1994.
CAST
Angela Gheorghiu as Violetta (S)
Frank
Lopardo as Alfredo (T)
Leo Nucci as Giorgio Germont (Bar)
Leah-Marian Jones as Flora (Ms)
Robin Leggate as Gastone (T)
Richard Van Allan as Baron Douphol (Bar)
Gillian Knight as Annina (S)
Mark Beesley as Doctor Grenvil (B)
Orchestra:
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden,
conducted
by Sir Georg Solti
Chorus: Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
DVD
Verdi's La Traviata performed at the Gran Teatro La Fenice,
Venice, in 2004.
CAST
Edita Gruberova as Violetta (S)
Neill
Shicoff as Alfredo (T)
Giorgio Zancanaro as Giorgio Germont (Bar)
Mariana Pentcheva as Flora (Ms)
Max Renée Cossotti as Gastone (T)
Orazio Mori as Baron Douphol (Bar)
Antonella Trevisan as Annina (S)
Francesco Musinu as Doctor Grenvil (B)
Orchestra:
Orchestra of the Gran Teatro La Fenice conducted by Carlo
Rizzi Chorus: Chorus of the Gran Teatro La Fenice, Venice
03
- Media files (removed)
Video
1a The Matadors ballet at Covent Garden - La Traviata act II
Video
1b The matadors ballet at La Fenice - La Traviata act II
Video
2a Pura siccome un angelo sung by Nucci then Gheorghiu at Covent
Garden - La Traviata act II
Video
2b Pura siccome un angelo sung by Zancanaro then Gruberova at
La Fenice - La Traviata act II
Video
3a Parigi o cara sung by Gheorghiu and Lopardo at Covent Garden
- La Traviata act III
Video
3b Parigi o cara sung by Gruberova and Shicoff at La Fenice - La
Traviata act III
Video
4a Se una pudica vergine sung by Gheorghiu then Nucci and Lopardo
at Covent Garden - La Traviata act III and finale
Video
4b Se una pudica vergine sung by Gruberova then Zancanaro and
Shicoff at La Fenice - La Traviata act III and finale
Note
(ed.)
To
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INSTALL
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for brightness, contrast or colour.
04
- Review by members of the panel
Joseph
Fragala
In Traviata, the vocality needed is primarily a fraseggio,
ductile, chiaroscuro and capable of translating emotions with
subtle sounds of nobility (Germont father), love, fury and
resignation (Alfredo and Violetta). Verdi demanded realistic
character interpretation from all the three protagonists.
In this review, the performers have been looked upon within
these requirements. Gheorghiu is young,
beautiful and seductive as one would expect from a high society
courtesan. Complying with exigencies of the drama, the voice
is expressive perhaps a little rigid and always makes recourse
to scenes in the opera of a deeply emotional intensity (video
2a). Gruberova, a very attractive woman in
2004, retains intact her excellent vocality of years gone
by. The voice is extended and radiant, the emission is homogeneous
and perfect, the timbre is unsurpassable. Her musicality and
dynamic sensitivity attenuate her scenic movements and facial
expressions (video 2b). Lopardo' s voice
has a good timbre and steady middle register. In moments of
vocal intensity, he emits somewhat colourless high notes.
His vocal characteristics suit the role' sentimental, pathetic
notes and takes advantage of Verdi's essentially central tessitura.
In "Parigi o cara", the voice is like a gold leaf
and a stream of overflowing tenderness (video 3a). Shicoff
displays a predominantly lyrical voice. It suits
the role admirably. The timbre is well coloured in all registers.
What impresses me is his interpretation of the spoiled and
voluble character. Shicoff is a consummate actor with a facial
expression of childish hope (video 3b) and inane rejoice at
the thought that Violetta has recovered (video 4b). Nucci
displays an ample, pulpy and coloured voice which
he emits with full technical surety. The chiaroscuro is not
as evident in the role (video 2a). Zancanaro surprises
me. The voice is dark, solid, emitted naturally and capable
of a mezzavoce splendidly (video 2b) His stature and mannerism,
one moment amiable and the next intransigent, cut out a relevant
figuration of Germont father (video 2b). The Matadors ballet
in this opera is not incidental and is linked up with the
scene of act II. At Covent Garden, the ballet enriches the
impression of high society decadence. However, the artistic
director has gone overboard with two gay matadors kissing
each other (video 1a). At La Fenice, the ballet is purely
decorative, enjoyable and well executed (video 1b). The Covent
Garden production gets my nod. Physically, vocally and interpretively,
Gheorghiu looks the part better than Gruberova does. Although
Lopardo and Nucci do not quite come up to her high standard,
Gheorghiu carries the show up to the end, hurtling an exocet-like
Gioia! in the dramatic finale.
Lynn
Samohel
Despite
the problems Verdi had with launching La Traviata (he had
to change the title from Amore e morte to finally
La Traviata, thanks to the censors) and a flop of
the first performances, he was able, in
mid March, 1856, to
witness the triumph of La Traviata on the very stage where
it had failed so disastrously three years previously. La Traviata
is a very private opera in which the choral numbers often
seem like an intrusion. Violetta dominates the opera and her
presence gives life and individuality to the other two principals.
These two productions from Covent Garden and La Fenice are
both well executed in their own right. I will try to compare
here the incomparable because all the artists are excellent.
Angela Gheorgiu's (CG) Violetta is limpid,
expressive and graceful. Hers is a star performance. Edita
Gruberova (LF). Physically her Violetta is not ideal
but her singing is an essential lesson in style. Hers is a
sensitive and unmitigated success. She is in magnificent voice
and her 'È strano' is very moving. Frank Lopardo
(CG). It is a sensitive performance but his tenor
is a bit dry. He still sings and plays with the hopes of a
young man trying to achieve what is almost impossible. It
is sung to the best of his ability. Neil Shicoff
(LF). He is a tenor with flexibility, intelligence, taste
and smooth quality. His only problem is his diction, which
is not the best here. His 'Un di felice' and 'Parigi o cara'
with Gruberova are marvellous. Giorgio Zancanaro
(LF). What caught my attention straight away is his thrilling
baritone and powerful performance. Leo Nucci
(CG). His part is sung with colour and nobility and he shows
to be an artist of considerable range and a truly outstanding
baritone. In my opinion, the production of La Fenice is more
traditional and it would be my choice out of the two productions.
Geoff
Mallinson
Here
we have two very good versions of 'La Traviata' Personally,
I would be happy to have either one or the other version and
preferably both. Both productions are very well staged, as
we would expect from two of the World's premier opera houses.
Both productions benefit from a traditional approach in general
with good principals, good sets, good lighting and very good
orchestral accompaniment. However, it is nice to have the
benefit of comparison: The Ballet Scene.
Covent Garden presents very much a party atmosphere with any
number of little cameo performances being played out at the
same time although I agree with Joseph that it goes over the
top with the suggestion of homosexuality. It's unnecessary
and irrelevant. However, it's humorously done. It's also interesting
that both Covent Garden and Venice employed what appears to
be a large table to dance on. Venice offers the more traditional
ballet performance and allows the dancers the greater opportunity
to display their skills. The orchestra also adopts a brisker
tempo but on the whole I lean towards the Covent Garden performance.
The confrontation between Germont father and Violetta are
very different indeed. Venice offers us quite a palatial setting
while Covent Garden goes for an elegant but slightly worn
country house. Nucci sings extremely well
and offers us a father figure of unquestioned authority and
severity but Gheorghiu absolutely steals
the scene before she sings a single note. She is a beautiful
but tormented Violetta who cannot escape her past; her singing
is emotive, vibrant but always controlled. She is simply superb.
Zancanaro interprets Germont quite differently
to Nucci. He is patient, he wins Violetta's attention with
his paternal explanations of his situation and his warm baritone
is excellent. Gruberova's Violetta seems
rather a homely figure, somewhat out of her depth with Germont's
views and while her singing is beautiful, her characterisation
is one of a confused female while Gheorghiu's is one of deep
hurt and pain. In 'Parigi O cara' the comparison is drawn
between the Alfredos of Lopardo and Schicoff. Schicoff
wins hands down (even with the disadvantage of a
ridiculous pair of spectacles). I find Lopardo's
singing to be rather dry and straight-forward while Shicoff
is more lyrical and 'musical'. He acts the pants off Lopardo.
The final scene is all about the respective Violettas. I have
the greatest admiration for the sheer beautiful singing of
Gruberova but she is totally eclipsed by Gheorghiu who colours
her voice with all the frailty and despair of the dying young
woman. Scenically, Gruberova looks a picture of health and
vitality which is totally out of keeping, while Gheorghiu
looks, sings and acts as though she really is at the point
of death. To sum up; these are two desirable DVD performances.
As Violetta, Gruberova is vocally excellent but Gheorghiu
is totally believable. She IS Violetta. However, Zancanaro
as Germont offers a portrayal that Nucci, for all his vocal
skill, just cannot match and Schicoff is so much more than
Lopardo as Alfredo, in every department. I would want both
versions on my shelf.
Dragos
Tomescu
Violetta
is a very complex role because of its vocal tessitura. In
the first act, a lirico-leggero voice is needed and a great
coloratura, while, in the other two acts, the voice has to
be more dramatic and very expressive. From these points of
view, I think that the ideal Violetta's voice should be between
Gheorghiu and Gruberova's voices. By that, I mean the excellent
vocality of Gruberova in the first act and the expressiveness
of Gheorghiu's voice in the last two acts.
Angela
Gheorghiu is a very seductive 'actrice' and very
expressive singer but she has not the easy vocality of Edita
Gruberova. She interprets the role a la Callas in her golden
years and, when I heard her in the duet with Nucci or in the
last scene, I was struck by their resemblance. But, beyond
that, Gheorghiu is herself a great singing actress and not
only a Callas' carbon copy! In 2004, Edita Gruberova
is a mature woman and the voice has lost a bit the
easy top notes she had 20 years ago, when, at the beginning
of her career, she was a top belcanto singer. Yet, her voice
has still great musicality and a shiny timbre. She does not
have the dramatic colours of Gheorghiu's voice and her movements
on the stage are a bit restrained. Even so, her Violetta is
sensitive. Frank Lopardo 's voice is a lirico-spinto
with a good middle register and it fits perfectly with Gheorghiu's
voice. Although he hasn't an easy and flexible top, he knows
how to colour his voice and he is very good in the last act.
On the other hand, Neil Shicoff's voice is
more lyrical and expressive on stage than Lopardo's. He acts
very well but the voice is no longer what it used to be. In
the Covent Garden cast, it fits very well with Gruberova's
Violetta shiny voice. As Germont father, Leo Nucci
is very convincing as he has a dark and very pulpy
voice well suited to the role. To me also, Giorgio
Zancanaro is a great surprise and I like him most
among La Fenice cast. He is a very intelligent and musical
singer, he is rude when the role demands it but he can be
very tender too. The voice is sure and hasn't lost a bit of
the richness it had 20 years ago when he and Gruberova sang
I Puritani together with our beloved tenor Salvatore
Fisichella. As an example, the duet Germont father - Violetta,
from the second act, is marvellously sung with infinite colours
(video 2b), whilst, in the same duet, in the version of Nucci
and Gheorghiu, Nucci displays a linear and rather rude character
(video 2a). The Matadors ballet from the
Covent Garden production is very original (the scene with
a kiss between the matadors is rather odd as I cannot imagine
matadors being homosexual. I can imagine the young aristocrats
of the middle XIX century being homosexual and maybe that
was the artistic director's idea). I enjoyed the fast tempo
and brilliant execution of La Fenice's ballet. In general,
I find that the Covent Garden production is dramatically sung
in a verismo style and Solti chose the proper voices to obtain
it. La Fenice's production is more in the belcanto line, the
dramatic effect being not so well emphasized. The two Violettas,
Gheorghiu and Gruberova, are different voice types and I notice
that the other main characters were chosen to match them.
I consider it a great quality of the two productions
Note
(ed.)
Vocality
is the sum of the technical and stylistc characteristics of
a singer.
Musicality
is the harmonious quality or sweetness of sound of a voice.
Tessitura
is the part of the register in which most of the tones
of a melody or vocal score lie.
CREDIT
TABLE (Marks 20/20)
CAST
|
joseph
|
lynn
|
dragos
|
|
GHEORGHIU
Vocality
Character
interpretation
TOTAL
|
19
20
19.5
|
19
20
19.5 |
19
20
19.5 |
GRUBEROVA
Vocality
Character
interpretation
TOTAL
|
20
18
19
|
20
18
19 |
19
18
18.5 |
LOPARDO
Vocality
Character
interpretation
TOTAL
|
17
19
18
|
19
18
18.5 |
18
19
18.5 |
SHICOFF
Vocality
Character
interpretation
TOTAL
|
18
20
19
|
19
20
19.5
|
19
20
19.5
|
NUCCI
Vocality
Character
interpretation
TOTAL
|
19
19
19
|
19
19
19 |
19
19
19 |
ZANCANARO
Vocality
Character
interpretation
TOTAL
|
19
20
19.5
|
20
19
19.5 |
20
20
20 |
|
COVENT
GARDEN
Conductor:
Solti
Stage
sets
Costumes
Ballet
|
20
18
19
16
|
19
18
19
17
|
20
20
20
19 |
|
LA
FENICE
Conductor:
Rizzi
Stage
sets
Costumes
Ballet
|
19
19
19
18
|
20
19
19
18 |
19
19
19
19
|
The total marks
for the soloists are based on vocality and acting ability
(j.f.)
|
”There
is one thing to be said for glory - you can take glory
with you, when it is your time to go”