What’s a trip to Rome without an opera by Giuseppe Verdi!? The performance of La Traviata last night was a double whammy – talented artists performing at a spectacular venue – St. Paul’s Within the Walls! Verdi’s operas are performed “more frequently than those of other composers”. I’ve seen La Traviata all over the world and never get bored with the experience.
St. Paul’s Within the Walls
A “multi-cultural Episcopal church,” St. Paul’s was the first Protestant church built in Rome after Italian unification in 1861. The beautiful Romanesque-Gothic church opened in 1880. Located in the heart of Rome, it hosts quality classical performances and boasts the “best acoustics in the city”.
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“La Traviata tops global performance lists due to its deeply emotional story and music that captivates audiences across generations and cultures.”
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“Burne-Jones mosaics in the church apse and choir are the “glory” of St. Paul’s. Edward Burne-Jones is a key figure in late-nineteenth-century English art. His mosaics in St. Paul’s are of such ‘recognized artistic value,‘ the church was designated a National Monument.” At night, it’s a magical experience!
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“At the beginning of the opera, after Alfredo confesses his love, Violetta sings the aria ‘Sempre Libera’. She’s torn between wanting to be free to live her life, and wondering if Alfredo is her true love.” Opera Philadelphia
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La Traviata
Verdi’s La Traviata is the tragic story of an unhappy love affair between nobleman Alfredo Germont and high-class Parisian courtesan Violetta Valéry. Verdi adapted the opera from an Alexandre Dumas play. It’s presented in three acts and was first performed in Venice during 1853. It was interesting seeing the opera in a small, intimate venue, versus an elaborate opera house.
Cast
The orchestra was conducted by Elvin Dhimitri. Multi-talented Dhimitri is also a superb violinist. I posted about his Vivaldi Four Seasons solo performance at Chiesa Evangelica Metodista. The lead singers are listed below. I found the rich voice of Argentinian baritone Cristian Alderete the most compelling:
- Aleksandra Buczek Soprano – Violetta Valery
- Emil Alekperov Tenor – Alfredo Germont
- Cristian Alderete Baritone – Giorgio Germont
- Anastasiia Demchenko Mezzo-Soprano – Flora Bervoix-Annina
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“La Traviata is based on La dame aux Camélias (1852), a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas.” La Fenice Opera House
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As the story evolves, Alfredo’s father, Giorgio, forces Alfredo and Violetta to end their relationship to save his family’s reputation. You can read a synopsis of the three acts by clicking on this link. It’s operatic drama at its best, especially the final scene, when the two lovers are “reunited for one last moment of happiness,“ before Violetta dies. La Traviata is considered a “masterpiece of Romanticism, epitomized by the popular aria ‘Sempre Libera’ and duet ‘Libiamo ne lieti calici’ – aka the ‘Drinking Song’ in English“.
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi – 1813 to 1901 – is a renowned Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born in the province of Parma. Verdi “dominated the Italian opera scene after the era of Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, and Gaetano Donizetti, composers who significantly influenced him”.
Verdi was also influenced by the French Grand opera style. In addition to being a composer, he served briefly as an elected politician. His later operas were “much in the spirit of the Italian unification movement – Risorgimento. The composer became esteemed as a representative of these ideals – national unity and identity, independence, liberalism, and nationalism.
Verdi’s popularity continued during the middle and later periods of his career, with Rigoletto (1851), Il trovatore (1853), and La traviata (1853). His success in later years included operas Aida (1871), Requiem (1874), Otello (1887), and Falstaff (1893).
Italians
The older I get, the more I appreciate opera. For me, an Italian opera like La Traviata is pure catharsis… Unlike in many cultures, where openly expressing emotion is often met with awkwardness and silence, in Italy, it’s 100% OK to communicate your feelings.