Giuseppe Verdi Dr. Lara Housez School of the Arts McMaster University

Content • Giuseppe Verdi • Verdi in Italy • La Traviata – Setting – Plot – Characters – Act I

• Opera Divas

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-­‐1901) • Italian composer • Married and had 2 children • Widower at 26 • Later had a scandalous affair with soprano Giuseppina Strepponi; reIlected in his opera, La Traviata

• Composed 28 operas, including La Traviata, Rigoletto, Aïda, and Il trovatore • Verdi was immensely popular in Europe; he was given state funeral in Milan; largest public assembly of any event in the history of Italy

Verdi in Italy

La Traviata (1853) • • • • • “The fallen woman” Opera in 3 acts Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave Based on a novel by Alexandre Dumas Premiered in 1853 in Venice

CHARACTERS • Violetta (soprano): a high-­‐class prostitute • Alfredo (tenor): a young gentlemen

SETTING • Paris at the beginning of the 18th century PLOT • Violetta and Alfredo fall in love • She suffers from consumption (tuberculosis); must decide how to spend rest of her life: committed to one man, or free • Live together but she breaks the relationship due to a scandal of her past • Finally reunited, only to die in Alfredo’s arms

• La Traviata: The Russian-­‐born soprano Anna Netrebko as Violetta in the Drinking Song from Act 1

Netrebko performed the Russian national anthem at the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi

La Traviata, Act I, selection • Contrasting emotions projected through singing styles: – Passage of declamatory, syllabic recitative vs. lyrical aria-­‐like sections – Virtuosic singing vs. simple – Here an aria becomes a duet half-­‐way through (Alfredo joins, offstage) • Word-­‐music relationships: – "Gioir" (enjoy) – "Vortici" (vortices) – Emotional love: in Alfredo's lyrical melody

• • • •

Showcases the voice of the singers to maximum effect Uses the orchestra sparingly Dramatically realistic and musically satisfying Three styles of singing: – Declamatory: • Accompanied recitative • Propels the story along – Virtuosic • Melismatic • High notes and difIicult melodic runs – Lyrical • Slower, more melodic singing

Opera Divas • Diva – Means “Goddess” – Captures imagination of opera lovers – Life stories fascinate audiences as much as virtuosic singing – ReIlected in Iilm, such as Pretty Woman with Julia Roberts • Famous operatic divas: – Maria Callas (left), Joan Sutherland, Anna Netrebko, Kiri Te Kanawa, Renée Fleming

For Friday • Read: pp. 308-­‐316 • Listen: CD 4, track 3 (Richard Wagner, The Valkyrie, Act III, selection [“Wotan’s Farewell”])