When was La traviata first performed and where?
La traviata was first performed on the 6th of March 1853 at La Fenice opera house in Venice. The premiere was met with jeering from the audience and was considered a failure by the composer himself.
Questions about La traviata
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who wrote the libretto for La traviata?
The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave, set to music by Giuseppe Verdi. The opera is based on La Dame aux camélias, a play by Alexandre Dumas fils that he adapted from his own 1848 novel.
Why did the premiere of La traviata fail?
The audience objected primarily to the casting of soprano Fanny Salvini-Donatelli, aged 38, in the role of young, dying Violetta. Though an acclaimed singer, the audience found her too old and overweight to credibly portray the character. Verdi had tried to have the role recast before the premiere but was unsuccessful.
What did Verdi say after La traviata's disastrous premiere?
The morning after the premiere, Verdi wrote to his friend Emanuele Muzio: "La traviata last night a failure. Was the fault mine or the singers'? Time will tell." This letter is considered perhaps his most famous.
When did La traviata succeed after its failed premiere?
La traviata was revived successfully on the 6th of May 1854 at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice, largely due to soprano Maria Spezia-Aldighieri's portrayal of Violetta. Verdi had made revisions to the second and third acts between the two productions.
When was La traviata first performed in the United States?
La traviata received its United States premiere on the 3rd of December 1856, performed in Italian by the Max Maretzek Italian Opera Company at the Academy of Music in New York. Some audience members and critics considered the plot immoral, though others compared it favorably to Don Giovanni.