La Traviata″ by Giuseppe Verdi
La Traviata is a composition that is made up of three acts. The producer, Giuseppe Verdi, is of Italian origin, and most of his pieces premiered in the Venice opera in the mid-18th century. La Traviata is a creation that reflects on romance and music. Markedly, it is full of drama, passion, exciting costumes, soaring arias, and spectacular setting. The opera is based on a play La Dame aux Camelias and was initially set in the 17th century. Historically, the first performance was considered a failure since a significant number of the audience lost interest in the second act. Although the composition is ancient, it is vital to consider the multiple aspects that make it outstanding and breathtaking.
Currently, it is considered to be one of the most famous creations in the opera. The title of the composition can be translated into “the fallen woman.” The storyline revolves around Violetta and Alfredo’s affair. Verdi gives his different cast melody and music throughout the drama. Verdi utilizes choruses, arias, and recitative forces in the composition. Hence, throughout the play, there are evident choruses, ensembles, duets, and solos. Verdi’s creation is melodramatic and explores the most profound human emotions (Verdi, 1880). The feelings are adequately expressed through rich harmonies, poetry, poignant drama, and vocalic melodies. Additionally, the arias used are expressive, intimate in nature, and flexible. Thus, the melody is used to express some of the friendliest and delicate aspects of human life.
Moreover, Verdi incorporates multiple tones in his composition. Verdi also includes tone on a global and local scale. Locally, he uses tone to protract a shift in recurring themes and drama. The variation in tone actively notifies the audience of a change in mood within the characters. It can also be used to transition from one emotional scene to the next one. On a global scale, the author uses tone to relax or intensify dramatic events within the acts (Easley, 2005). The variation in tone works with the use of other keys on a large scale making the whole composition uniform. Equally important is the impact of the dramatic shifts in tone that creates some emotions and direct impact throughout the audience. The tones are a recreation of the true feelings expressed by the multiple characters in La Traviata. Thus, the creativity of Verdi is evident in the varied mood he uses throughout the composition.
Verdi uses some impressive aspects of the play. The costumes used in the play are ancient and an actual depiction of the 18th-century era. Moreover, the background is made up of creative photos, a clear representation of the Old Italian sculptures. The first act setting is a recreation of a salon in Paris with women dressed in long outstanding dresses. In contrast, the second act is based on an Italian country house belonging to Violetta, who is the star of the composition. The third act is a recreation of Violetta’s bedroom with some aspects of the 18th-century touch. Furthermore, the variation in setups and costumes creates multiple environments and scenes within the play. Perhaps, it is a representation of the different phases in Violetta’s life. Thus, it helps the audience to interact with the various characters on multiple levels.
References
Easley, D. B. (2005). Tonality and drama in Verdi’s” La Traviata.”
Verdi, G. (1880). La Traviata. Opera in tre atti.