Verdi
La Traviata
Based on Dumas’ novel 'The Lady of the Camellias', its intimate drama and unforgettable arias made it one of Verdi’s most enduring works. La Traviata (1853) follows Violetta Valéry, a Parisian courtesan who finds true love with Alfredo but is pressured to sacrifice her happiness for his family’s honour - Violetta being seen as a disreputable woman of loose living, thereby threatening the marriage of Alfredo's sister
First Performance:
Premiered 6 March 1853 at La Fenice, Venice, and considered a failure due to the casting of a very rotunde soprano to represent the ailing wasted Violetta as well as the disappointing singing of the baritone and tenor in the second act . The audience openly jeered the performance. However it was revived the next year to great success, and became one of Verdi’s most enduring operas.
Historical setting:
Premiered in 1853, La Traviata was one of the first operas set in contemporary times reflecting mid‑19th‑century debates on morality, class, and public health, which were emerging during Verdi’s socially engaged middle period."