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A quick overview of Verdi’s 1853 tragic love story.

Premiered

1853

Music by

Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto by

Francesco Maria Piave

Language

Italian

As a courtesan, the beautiful Violetta is the life of every party, toasting to high-class pleasures alongside wealthy men. But Violetta holds a devastating secret: she is sick and dying. When the affluent Alfredo confesses his love, happily-ever-after finally seems within reach—until his father condemns his lover’s low social status. Now Violetta must face an impossible choice between her happiness and Alfredo’s reputation before death claims her.

If you were to ask any opera fan about the greatest love stories in all of musical history, odds are La traviata would make it into the top ten… at least. Violetta and Alfredo’s romance, which (spoiler alert) doesn’t go according to plan, makes pretty much every operagoer’s list of the most moving tales ever to grace the operatic stage.

But at the time it was written, some theatergoers may have considered La traviata to be very modern… and maybe even a little scandalous. This was most likely because the story centered on an up-to-date tale of forbidden love in the 1850s and featured scenes with members of the upper classes behaving less than properly for the period, not to mention a heroine who was a well-paid courtesan. This was a very unusual choice by Verdi—to set an opera in the “present” day with characters that would be immediately recognizable to viewers as figures from their own social circles. To avoid offending anyone, producers moved the action back a century, making it harder for audiences to see any connection to their real-life society. And the trick worked. La traviata quickly became a runaway success.

Directors often move the action of La traviata up by several years to help audience members understand that Violetta’s story could happen to anyone. Still, no matter the era in which La traviata is presented, the emotions experienced by the characters—joy, excitement, worry, fear, love, and many more—should be easy to identify, especially if you listen closely.

We mentioned Violetta is a courtesan, but what does that mean exactly?

First of all, as a courtesan, Violetta would not have been a “prostitute” in the way we’ve come to understand the word or the way it’s frequently used in literature and film. A woman like Violetta would have engaged in physical relationships with men outside of the bonds of marriage, but she wouldn’t have received instant payment nor would she have been allowed to associate with more than one man at any given time.

Here’s some added historical context to give a better sense of the life Violetta may have lived:

• A courtesan held a higher social status than most female sex workers of the period. They typically had only one patron and had access to wealth and privilege usually only reserved for the aristocracy. Impoverished women may have felt such a job was a form of empowerment rather than imprisonment, particularly as they were allowed to speak openly and enjoy Parisian nightlife and culture the way a man could.
• To become a courtesan, a woman had to be either incredibly beautiful, incredibly resourceful, or both. Many courtesans were actresses or dancers who attracted suitors willing to pay for clothes, jewelry, music and drawing lessons, and much more in an effort to keep these women by their sides. In return, the women would consider themselves “taken,” and were obliged not to be seen in public with other partners.
• Marie Duplessis, who inspired the character that eventually became Violetta, taught herself some of the skills that would help her blend in with the upper class. Her accomplishments enabled her to secure enough money and power to be able to travel outside her native country and to attend high-profile social events.
• Courtesans often moved in the same Parisian circles as many of the most famous men of the time, including heads of state, popular writers, well-known artists, and others.

Act I

At her home in Paris, Violetta Valéry, a well-known courtesan and companion of the wealthy Baron Duphol, hosts a late-night party for some friends. She’s been feeling ill lately, but has recovered slightly and decided not to let her sickness get in the way of a good time.

Among the guests are Flora and Gastone, who introduce Violetta to Alfredo, a young gentleman who confesses he’s been her secret admirer for an entire year.

Alfredo has noticed Violetta’s health is failing. Once alone with her, he declares his desire to love and care for her…forever. (As in, he wants her to give up her life as a paid escort and take a chance on real love.)

Knowing her illness is quite possibly fatal, Violetta suspects a true love like the one Alfredo offers would only end in tragedy. She tries to focus on simple pleasures like wine and dancing instead, but the damage is already done. She’s fallen desperately in love.

Listen to the Story

Carl d’Unker (1828–1866),  La Traviata - Der Eklat am Spieltisch, 1866, oil on canvas [].

Presented by Washington National Opera, host Saul Lilienstein takes you through the musical world of Verdi’s 1853 tragic love story, La Traviata.

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