Giuseppe Verdi - La traviata (1853) - "Teneste la promessa... Addio del passato" (Marie McLaughlin)

History (based on materials from Robert Farr's indispensable "Verdi Conspectus"): After "Rigoletto" Verdi's fame was assured, and he soon agreed to present an opera at the Venetian La Fenice in March, 1853. During a trip to Paris he had an opportunity to see Dumas's "La Dame aux camellias" which would ultimately serve as the subject for his opera. The hurried writing of "Il Trovatore", brought about by the death of the original librettist, giving Verdi six weeks between the premieres of the operas, made for a hectic composition period, and the first performance of the opera, on the 6th of March, 1853, was poorly received, the audience not responding well to the portly soprano portraying a dying consumptive (however, the work did surprisingly well in the box office). Verdi withdrew the opera until he would be satisfied that any theatre concerned would cast the principal roles for both vocal and acting ability. The administrator of Venice's smaller San Benedetto theatre undertook to meet Verdi's demands. Verdi revised five numbers in the score, and on the 6th of May, 1854, "La Traviata" was acclaimed with wild enthusiasm in the same city where it had earlier been a fiasco.

Narrative: The plot of the opera, penned by Verdi's constant collaborator, Francesco Piave, is, perhaps, too well known to recite in full detail. Thus, we will only approach the final act: Violetta (soprano), abandoned by her lover, Alfredo (tenor), is slowly dying away due to her tuberculosis. Not even the letter of Alfredo's father, Giorgio (baritone), proclaiming everlasting compassion, is solice for the inevitable coming of death. Alfredo who has been informed of the sacrifice Violetta has made for him and his sister on his father's behalf rushes into the room, giving the heroine a final moment of peace before she expires in the presence of both father and son.

Music: "La Traviata" is a lyric drama of the utmost realism, and its music, ranging from the lovers' ethereal first duet to the stern dialogue between the heroine and Germont, is thoroughly involving. However, in this case, I wish to highlight Violetta's tearful Act III aria. We begin with the letter reading scene, as the heroine, alone, muses on the message Germont has sent her, promising to bring Alfredo to her. This chilling narrative is set to a drone from the strings, while a lone violin gently states the melody of "Un di felice". However, the music is cut sharply by a forceful tutti chord, as Violetta exclaims "All too late" (0:57). A brief yet striking recitative follows, accentuated by the strings' broken phrases, as the heroine, surveying the decay she has went through, loses all hope in returning to happiness. The following "Addio del passato" is built as a classic cavatina in two verses (similar to Bellini's "Oh! quante volte"), however, each verse is multi-sectioned, possibly symbolizing Violetta's wandering mind. The aria proper opens with a plaintive solo for the oboe, providing a hint of the subsequent material (1:54). Violetta's lament is wonderfully understated, amounting to a mesmerizing vocal melody, lightly ornamented, as if to represent the heroine's past joys, and subdued string pizzicatos (2:04). Soon the memory of lost love provokes a lyric, elegiac line from Violetta, while the orchestra blooms into a romantic accompaniment with the addition of flute/oboe/clarinet which effectively mirror fractions of the heroine's phrases (2:40). The oboe, echoing once again Violetta, forces her to return to the opening lament (3:13). Another contrast is provided in the following section which grows into nothing short of a religious hymn, as the whole orchestra, playing extended lines, accompanies Violetta's more resolute appeal to God for pity (still, ironically, set to quadruplet figures as in the opening) (3:37). However, the oboe once again moves us to a tragic mood, as Violetta, completely drained of all hope, finishes the verse in a simple yet heartbreaking descending ornamental line over the dying string bass line (4:07). The second verse is almost completely identical in musical development (save for a few decorative touches), though the suggested symbolism is even starker, as Violetta remarks that her grave will not be adorned by a cross or flowers, providing an even more macabre reference than in the first half of the aria. On a side note, in the past, some have attempted to discard the second verse of the movement, though, thankfully, this is no longer the custom. Thus, Verdi, through the simplest of touches, creates an image of the utmost tragedy.

Score: The complete sheet music for the scene can be found here (pages 11-18):
http://imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/f/f7/IMSLP06693-Traviata_-_No._8.pdf

Video: The 1987 Glyndebourne production under Peter Hall is a traditionally well-rehearsed, highly polished rendition of the score with a winning cast and, above all, a believable, highly personal Violetta in Marie McLaughlin.

Hope you'll enjoy =).

Category:

Music

Tags:

• verdi
• belcanto
• cantabile
• classic

[Csanfer14]

Would you please, Be so kind post the Sempre Libera version from this DVD! ?

Ilove her , thanks so much for posting this!

[MikiTTCC]

Una Violetta toccante, ottima interpretazione.

Complimenti per la bravura, Marie McLaughlin!

[snapeyes]

Isn't she great? I have several Traviatas on DVD, but I keep comig back to this one. Brava Marie McLaughlin!

[ArjaStylianou]

Wonderful!