La traviata

Plot synopsis:
Place: Paris and its vicinity.
Time: Beginning of the 19th century
=== Act 1 ===
The salon in Violetta's house
Violetta Valéry, a famed courtesan, throws a lavish party at her Paris salon to celebrate her recovery from an illness. Gastone, a viscount, has brought with him a friend, Alfredo Germont, a young bourgeois from a provincial family who has long adored Violetta from afar. While walking to the salon, Gastone tells Violetta that Alfredo loves her, and that while she was ill, he came to her house every day. Alfredo joins them, admitting the truth of Gastone's remarks.
Baron Douphol, Violetta's current lover, waits nearby to escort her to the salon; once there, the Baron is asked to give a toast, but refuses, and the crowd turns to Alfredo, who agrees to sing a brindisi – a drinking song (Alfredo, Violetta, chorus: Libiamo ne' lieti calici – "Drink from the joyful cup").
From the next room, the sound of the orchestra is heard and the guests move there to dance. After a series of severe coughs and almost fainting, Violetta begins to feel dizzy and asks her guests to go ahead and to leave her to rest until she recovers. While the guests dance in the next room, Violetta looks at her pale face in her mirror. Alfredo enters and expresses his concern for her fragile health, later declaring his love for her (Alfredo, Violetta: Un dì, felice, eterea – "One day, happy and ethereal"). At first she rejects him because his love means nothing to her, but there is something about Alfredo that touches her heart. He is about to leave when she gives him a flower, telling him to return it when it has wilted, which will be the very next day.
After the guests leave, Violetta wonders if Alfredo could actually be the one in her life (Violetta: È strano! ... Ah, fors'è lui – "Ah, perhaps he is the one"). But she concludes that she needs freedom to live her life (Violetta, Alfredo: Sempre libera – "Always free"). From off stage, Alfredo's voice is heard singing about love as he walks down the street.
=== Act 2 ===
Scene 1: Violetta's country house outside Paris
Three months later, Alfredo and Violetta are living together in a peaceful country house outside Paris. Violetta has fallen in love with Alfredo and she has completely abandoned her former life. Alfredo sings of their happy life together (Alfredo: De' miei bollenti spiriti / Il giovanile ardore – "The youthful ardor of my ebullient spirits"). Annina, the maid, arrives from Paris, and, when questioned by Alfredo, tells him that she went there to sell the horses, carriages and everything owned by Violetta to support their country lifestyle.
Alfredo is shocked to learn this and leaves for Paris immediately to settle matters himself. Violetta returns home and receives an invitation from her friend, Flora, to a party in Paris that evening. Alfredo's father, Giorgio Germont, is announced and demands that she break off her relationship with his son for the sake of his family, since he reveals that Violetta's relationship with Alfredo has threatened his daughter's engagement (Giorgio: Pura siccome un angelo Iddio mi diè una figlia – "Pure as an angel, God gave me a daughter") because of Violetta's reputation. Meanwhile, he reluctantly becomes impressed by Violetta's nobility, something which he did not expect from a courtesan. She responds that she cannot end the relationship because she loves him so much, but Giorgio pleads with her for the sake of his family. With growing remorse, she finally agrees (Violetta, Giorgio: Dite alla giovine, sì bella e pura, – "Tell the young girl, so beautiful and pure,") and says goodbye to Giorgio. In a gesture of gratitude for her kindness and sacrifice, Giorgio kisses her forehead before leaving her weeping alone.
Violetta gives a note to Annina to send to Flora accepting the party invitation and, as she is writing a farewell letter to Alfredo, he enters. She can barely control her sadness and tears; she tells him repeatedly of her unconditional love (Violetta: Amami, Alfredo, amami quant'io t'amo – "Love me, Alfredo, love me as I love you"). Before rushing out and setting off for Paris, she hands the farewell letter to her servant to give to Alfredo.
Soon, the servant brings the letter to Alfredo and, as soon as he has read it, Giorgio returns and attempts to comfort his son, reminding him of his family in Provence (Giorgio: Di Provenza il mar, il suol chi dal cor ti cancellò? – "Who erased the sea, the land of Provence from your heart?"). Alfredo suspects that the Baron is behind his separation with Violetta, and the party invitation, which he finds on the desk, strengthens his suspicions. He decides to confront Violetta at the party. Giorgio tries to stop Alfredo, but he rushes out.
Scene 2: Party at Flora's house
At the party, the Marquis tells Flora that Violetta and Alfredo have separated, much to the amazement of everyone who had previously seen the happy couple. She calls for the entertainers to perform for the guests (Chorus: Noi siamo zingarelle venute da lontano – "We are gypsy girls who have come from afar"; Di Madride noi siam mattadori – "We are matadors from Madrid"). Gastone and his friends join the matadors and sing (Gastone, chorus, dancers: È Piquillo un bel gagliardo Biscaglino mattador – "Piquillo is a bold and handsome matador from Biscay").
Violetta arrives with Baron Douphol. They see Alfredo at the gambling table. When he sees them, Alfredo loudly proclaims that he will take Violetta home with him. Feeling annoyed, the Baron goes to the gambling table and joins him in a game. As they bet, Alfredo wins some large sums until Flora announces that supper is ready. Alfredo leaves with handfuls of money.
As everyone is leaving the room, Violetta has asked Alfredo to see her. Fearing that the Baron's anger will lead him to challenge Alfredo to a duel, she gently asks Alfredo to leave. Alfredo misunderstands her apprehension and demands that she admit that she loves the Baron. In grief, she makes that admission and, furiously, Alfredo calls the guests to witness what he has to say (Questa donna conoscete? – "You know this woman?"). He humiliates and denounces Violetta in front of the guests and then throws his winnings at her feet in payment for her services. She faints onto the floor. The guests reprimand Alfredo: Di donne ignobile insultatore, di qua allontanati, ne desti orror! ("Ignoble insulter of women, go away from here, you fill us with horror!").
In search of his son, Giorgio enters the hall and, knowing the real significance of the scene, denounces his son's behavior (Giorgio, Alfredo, Violetta, chorus: Di sprezzo degno sè stesso rende chi pur nell'ira la donna offende. – "A man, who even in anger, offends a woman renders himself deserving of contempt.").
Flora and the ladies attempt to persuade Violetta to leave the dining room, but Violetta turns to Alfredo: Alfredo, Alfredo, di questo core non puoi comprendere tutto l'amore... – "Alfredo, Alfredo, you can't understand all the love in this heart...".
=== Act 3 ===
Violetta's bedroom
Dr. Grenvil tells Annina that Violetta will not live long since her tuberculosis has worsened. Alone in her room, Violetta reads a letter from Alfredo's father telling her that the Baron was only wounded in his duel with Alfredo; that he has informed Alfredo of the sacrifice she has made for him and his sister; and that he is sending his son to see her as quickly as possible to ask for her forgiveness. But Violetta senses it is too late (Violetta: Addio, del passato bei sogni ridenti – "Farewell, lovely, happy dreams of the past").
Annina rushes in the room to tell Violetta of Alfredo's arrival. The lovers are reunited and Alfredo suggests that they leave Paris (Alfredo, Violetta: Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo – "We will leave Paris, O beloved").
But it is too late: she knows her time is up (Alfredo, Violetta: Gran Dio!...morir sì giovane – "Great God!...to die so young"). Alfredo's father enters with the doctor, regretting what he has done. After singing a duet with Alfredo, Violetta suddenly revives, exclaiming that the pain and discomfort have left her. A moment later, she dies in Alfredo's arms.

Tags: romantic

Review:
Still the best cinematic rendering of an opera ever.
Who else but Franco Zeffirelli could make what is the best opera movie ever?
After all, his productions at La Scala in the '50s catapulted that opera house once again to reign among the world's best, and preceded his move into film making.
Known for lush period costume dramas, Zeffirelli surely doesn't disappoint in that department.
In fact, visually, LA TRAVIATA ranks among his best work.
Controversial innovations, luxurious locations, and superb casting make LA TRAVIATA even more unique.
His editing down of several (repetitive) arias, and visual depiction of many of the arias' contents through flashbacks caused much controversy in Europe where I first saw it in its 1982 premiere.
However, the controversy was generated by opera purists, since from a purely artistic viewpoint, not to mention a strictly cinematic one, LA TRAVIATA has never been so well expressed, in fact no opera has.
The cinematic enhancements and cutting a few minutes off the running time to make the work more accessible only made opera more attractive to all.
The beautiful actual locations of the Seine, old Paris, the French countryside, and opulent palaces are a treat to watch as the wonderful music, conducted by the Met's legendary James Levine is played.
If one wants to see pure opera, one can buy several versions of LA TRAVIATA especially filmed live at an opera house, and watch the musicians in the orchestra pit play, the conductor's gestures, and hear the superb voices of the usually out of character (physically and age-wise) singers on stage.
The performances are usually longer as many arias are repeated several times, something film can avoid through its unique advantages.
In this case the performance on film runs 1 hour 45 minutes, without the elimination of any arias (just avoiding the repetition described above).
In contrast, the opera house experience, including two intermissions usually runs twice that length, if not longer.
This version of LA TRAVIATA is not only fine movie-making, but showcases the superb voices and musical excellence of the best of the classical recordings.
With the sublime Teresa Stratas in the title role, and the now legendary Placido Domingo as her love interest, one cannot ask for better leads.
The young Domingo's fiery Latin emotions with his imposing looks, and the very slender and also young Stratas' passionate interpretation (especially in her facial gestures) are totally convincing and captivating, as are, needless to say, their vocal talents, among the greatest of the century.
Added touches such as subtle shots focusing on the period's social customs, and a knock-out ballet sequence in a party scene are among the final master touches to this unique production.
One simply cannot compare, say,  the "classical" version released two years later featuring Dame Joan Sutherland (possibly the greatest soprano ever, but at the end of her incredible career)and Luciano Pavorotti (to whom comparable comments also apply).
But two extremely overweight leads pushing sixty portraying young lovers obviously lend a different perspective of this great opera.
Placido Domingo and Zeffirelli have since made more opera movies, and they are all excellent.
But here, Domingo is in his prime, and looks the part.
(He has obviously aged as consequent opera films were made, up to ten years later in fact.) And Zeffirelli here is still at the stage designing grand opera productions around the world, while still in his creative prime as a film maker.
As for Stratas, her Violeta (la traviata, the woman led stray) is, for me, the highlight of many highlights.
She combines compelling acting, unforgettable vocal agility, and (almost unheard of in opera) a very thin, attractive physique.
Many viewers who are not opera buffs do in fact think she is a dramatic actress dubbed by a great soprano.
An incredible package indeed, and this applies to the entire production.
Someone should put pressure on Universal (who is still selling the same 16 year old video) to restore this gem, and re-release it on video and DVD.
I just bought another VHS, and was disappointed it was still the original version.
Production values that do justice to Verdi's opera.
This is grand opera at its grandest.
In a scale from 1 to 19, this is a 20.Generally in opera, the singing is the thing.
One puts up with elephantine singers, make believe props, bad acting, and other shortcomings to enjoy the music, and especially, the singing.
In this film, none of this annoyances takes place.
Teresa Stratas looks beautiful as Violeta should.
She sings gloriously as Teresa should.
Ditto with Placido Domingo.
Unlike some opera singers, both of them can act.
The sets are sumptuous, the lighting excellent, the cinematography nonpareil.
This film is as close to perfection as humans can achieve..
An opera film for people who hate opera.
A filmed version of Guiseppe Verdi's opera.
It's about a love affair between beautiful Violetta Valery (Teresa Stratas) and Alfredo Germont (Placido Domingo).
It all leads to a tragic end.I saw this in a theatre back in 1982.
They tried to play it like an opera.
As the lights went down the curtain parted and the film began.
When the film ended, the curtains pulled back together and the lights came up.
It gave the feeling of being at a live opera.
That can't be recreated at your home but this film is still well worth seeing.Director Franco Zeffirelli wisely did not film the opera as it is staged.
He opened it up--this was set up for a film.
Sequences take place outside and the inside sets are way too elaborate for an actual opera.The costumes are beautiful and the sets are just stunning--full of color and light.
Every moment of this picture is filled with beautiful imagery.
It matches perfectly with the singing and the music which are just incredible.
I've never seen the opera but I've heard this is very faithful and Stratas and Domingo have beautiful voices and also can act!
The only negative here is that Domingo is way too old for his role...but that can be forgiven whenever he sings.This was actually a sizable hit back in 1982.
The same team got together a few years later and filmed "Othello".
Surprisingly that was TERRIBLE and is a textbook example of how NOT to do an opera!
Be prepared for tears, for this is a perfect opera film!.
This version of the famous tearjerker La Traviata was just wonderful from beginning to end.
The cinematography was stunning, and just as luscious were the costumes and locations, especially the villa outside Paris.
The music by Verdi is just superb, no wonder it is one of the most performed operas today, from the prelude of Act 1, Brindisi(which I am sure everybody knows even if they're not into opera), Sempre Libra, Di Provenza to the heart-rending ending and especially the Act 2 duet between Violetta and Germont, it is just delightful, and is bound to bring tears to people's eyes like it did to me.
Placido Domingo, not only looks the part of Alfredo, but sang and acted a dream, easily up there with Alfredo Krauss, as one of the best tenors playing that particular character.
Teresa Stratus was perfection as Violetta.
I did worry that her performance was going to leave me cold, but her beautiful voice and outstanding acting ability equalled a real tearjerker of a performance, that was poignant and understated.
Cornell MacNeill is not a name I am familiar with, but he certainly shone as Germont, with a fine baritone voice, and good stage presence.
Overall, a perfect opera film, that is a real tearjerker.
10/10 Bethany Cox. La Traviata is one of the world's greatest operas..
Verdi outdid himself when he penned La Traviata.
The cast of singers for this production is superb.
The cinematography is appropriately both beautiful and colorful, particularly at the Villa outside Paris.Stratas is excellent and poignant as Violetta.
Domingo makes a most passionate Alfredo.
Cornell MacNeil is a splendid Giorgio Germont.
The cinematography is particularly fine.All in all this is one of the finest productions of La Traviata ever.I believe that I have it on both laser disc and DVD..
Mysteriously Beautiful and Subtly Exquisite.
If one considers the love stories of all times, beside the undeniable classics by greatest playwrights, inevitably comes to mind the name of Alexandre Dumas (fils) who, in 1852, wrote a novel THE LADY OF THE CAMELLIAS.
Since then, the endless love story set in the 19th century Paris has inspired both opera writers and movie directors.
Consequently, the power of the tale embedded in the libretto by Francesco Maria Piave prompted opera maestro Giuseppe Verdi to write one of his most famous operas LA TRAVIATA basing his content entirely on the story about a deathly ill courtesan who, though does not have long to live due to tuberculosis, finds the true love of her life.
What came out was a greatly successful work where only characters were renamed but where the audiences were provided with something special and timeless: glorious music.However, lots of modern viewers skip those classics easily reducing their knowledge to films only.
As a result, the question appears: is it possible to captivate, amaze and enthuse a pop corn generation's viewer with the staff of this sort?
The Italian director Franco Zeffirelli managed to prove it possible through this production with some of his personal "additions" and, most importantly, with the magnificent leads: marvelous tenor Placido Domingo and astounding soprano Teresa Stratas.
Though LA TRAVIATA has been staged and filmed several times so far, this version occurs to be the best one.
The first aspect that addresses the viewers, both opera buffs and modern genres' lovers, the aspect that highlights the very core of their emotions and experiences, are the visuals of the movie.
From the very credits with the view of the Notre Dame Cathedral and the surroundings of the Seine River when the sounds of larks and pigeons mix with the sounds of crows, it all appears to be, as if, a moving work of art that you look at in perfect admiration and astonishment.
The wardrobes together with sets and decorations of interiors are stunning to the very essence of visual feast.
There are plenty of moments one could enumerate praising their pearls and uniqueness but for me, personally, there are two sequences of greatest interest: the lavish party as a flashback of Violetta's delirious mind and her visit to the countryside where the nature seems to praise the sincere love as no one and nothing else.
This goes with sublime music by Verdi, which is practically much more memorable for the viewers and their enthusiasm for the entire work of art.
Opera is promoted by modern means.
Therefore, some of the commentators are right saying "paradoxically" that this is an opera movie for people who hate opera.Besides, the whole cast fit very well to their roles.
This refers both to the lead I have mentioned before as well as to the supporting cast.
Placido Domingo as Alfredo Germont and Teresa Stratas as Violetta Valery were a perfect choice for the couple because of their attractiveness and the desirable chemistry.
Cornell McNeil is excellent as Giorgio Germont the authoritative parent who, supposedly, cares for his son's future.
The three memorably reach the "top notch" performances at the end when emotions are riding to the highest degrees...
The supporting male and female roles, including a bunch of beautiful young maidens are easily recognizable and leave a personal impression in viewers.So to say, LA TRAVIATA is a true work of art, a mysteriously beautiful and subtly exquisite screen work that anyone should see.
Referring to the words of Vincent Canby in New York Times who called this film "triumph" and found it "dazzling," I heartily recommend this masterpiece!
Perhaps one of the greatest operas of all times and one of the very best productions by Franco Zeffirelli..
Maybe he was not as accomplished as his good old dad, Alexandra Dumas Fils made his own work a classic household name which is well-remembered and appreciated.I first heard about "Cha Fa Nui" (Camille) from the mouth of my mother when I was still an upper primary school girl.
Dropped, the book, but not the name.A few years later in the early 80's, Franco Zeffirelli's operatic movie with Chinese title as "Cha Fa Nui" was on show in one and only one movie house, "Palace" at Causeway Bay (demolished!).
At that time, this prestigious cinema showed mostly western movies of big names like Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Dr. Zhivago and so "La Traviata" was one of them.Hong Kong Chinese were then not very familiar with Western culture, the cinema staff had even misplaced Plácido Domingo's name as "Domingo Plácido" on the billboard.
I, as a teenager, was a little intimidated by the movie house by its reputation and grandeur.
Yet, out of curiosity, in those fearless, carefree and innocent days, imitating the adults with good taste, I bought a ticket to see this movie.
And it was a WOW, what an eye-opening experience!The vision, the music, the powerful opera singing, the acting and the poetic cinematography, the wondrous costumes and hairdo, it was an educational adventure to a young life.
(So, until now I still don't understand how come the man at one row before me could be sleeping and snoring so annoyingly while his girlfriend/wife/sister was staring hard on the screen without moving her head.) Everything is unforgettable about this movie.
The happy time of the lovers that Violetta once fell off into a shallow brook from the narrow wood plank.
The histrionic and comical fit of Alfredo when he was struggle to open that fateful letter from Violetta.
And the most excruciating of all, I can still feel the deafening horror that the deserted and seriously ill Violetta was standing desertedly in the cruelly empty and stripped big house, letting out piercing shriek of pain.The subsequent episode is an educational search for me: I looked for abridged version of "Cha Fa Nui" in English "Camille" and found out that the names of the original protagonists were Marguerite Gautier and Armand Duval but not those in the operatic adaptation as Violetta Valery and Alfredo Germont.
Furthermore, the book inspired Giuseppe Verdi first to make it into an opera but not Franco Zeffirelli's movie.And five years later, I learned some French and so, dared to touched the original "La Dame aux Camélias".
Later, I learnt from an Italian lady that the name of Verdi's opera "La Traviata" was derived from an Italian verb "traviare" which means "to mislead", "to lead astray", or "to corrupt".
Thus, a "corrupted man" is a "traviato" and so "the fallen woman" or "the corrupted woman" is "La Traviata".
And the book has inspired every generation's film-makers or TV producers, so far there are more than forty adaptations.
It is reported that his favourite opera is "La Traviata", and my eyebrows arched.
The Ultimate La Traviata.
Director Franco Zefferelli, Stars Placido Domingo, Teresa Stratas, Cornell McNeil, Conductor James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, 1982 The forces behind this masterpiece are responsible for its greatness- Italian director and designer Franco Zefferelli, tenor Placido Domingo, soprano Teresa Stratas and baritone Cornell McNeil.
The singers are at the top of their game, Domingo is a young, sexy Alfredo and Teresa Stratas IS Violetta Valery in a performance that even Maria Callas would envy.
Zefferelli, who has long claimed he had a friendship with her and in truth he had been behind various opera productions of hers, had Maria Callas in mind when he cast Teresa Stratas.
Like Callas, Stratas has a Greek background through her parents though she was Canadian born, has similar looks, has the same type of dramatic voice and she is in Zefferelli's own words "an electrifying actress and soprano of the lyric entertainment".
The Callas connection is most obvious when Stratas appears in a black veiled gown in Act 2 at Flora's party where even her hair is similar to Callas' infamous 50's performances.Released in 1982, Zefferelli sought to "convert" people into opera lovers through the lush visual seduction of the cinema.
The cinematography of this film kills you with excessive beauty.
The opening credits roll as we see scenes of Paris in the Notre Dame Cathedral area and surrounding residential district by the Seine river.
The interior of Violetta Valery's mansion, where she hosts the Act 1 party, is luxurious and Zefferelli allows us to be dizzied with the sheer opulence of the house- gilded mirrors, portraits of Violetta, curtains, chandeliers etc.
Visually on film we are able to tell things about the characters that stage performances do not, for example as the guests depart from Act 1's party, an old woman steals a silver box from Violetta proving to us that Violetta is not among real friends, these are only fair-weathered friends and bad ones at that.
Violetta and Alfredo are never reunited, as in the opera, but instead his return is a hallucination and she dies alone in her apartment.The beginning of the film has Violetta reminiscing about the better days as a desirable and wealthy courtesan who partied all the time.
She is deathly ill and already her house is sold and men are moving her things out.
The country scenes are incredibly beautiful as Violetta and Alfredo live happily in seclusion.
Alfredo rides his horse and Violetta picks flowers for her greenhouse and feeds her white doves in their big cage.
Cornell McNeil's bombastic but fatherly Giorgio Germont is a great support to the refined performances of Domingo and Stratas.
The Flora's party scene is exceptional with even more visual beauty as Gypsies and bullfighters dance seductively and professional gamblers enjoy themselves.
The closing ensemble is not to be missed and neither is the melancholy and tragic ending.
This is the greatest and ultimate version of La Traviata ever made.
It is a must have for opera fans and for curious non-opera lovers.