Marie Duplessis, famous courtesan, died of tuberculosis aged 23 in Paris in 1847. One of her many lovers was Alexandre Dumas fils, who was inspired to write La Dame aux Camélias, first as a novel in 1848 and then as a play in 1852. The play, which Verdi saw, inspired him to write an opera which premièred in 1853.
La Traviata remains one of the most popular operas, attracting the most famous singers, just as the play once attracted the most famous actors.
In the 19th century, the scandalous subject matter was considered too bang up-to-date and risqué. The censors refused to allow for the opera to be performed in modern dress and the singers were costumed in 17th century clothes.
David McVicar’s production, conducted by Renato Palumbo at Teatro Real Madrid, was filmed in 2015 with Ermonela Jaho as Violetta, Francesco Demuro as Alfredo and Juan Jesús Rodríguez as Alfredo’s father, Germont.
Jaho, sickly pale and haggard, really does look as if she has consumption and is going to die very soon. Her performance, driven by Violetta's love for Alfredo, is powerfully sung and acted. Demuro is not nearly as convincing, looking a bit too old to be playing the young and immature Alfredo.
The vulgarity at Violetta’s soirée jars, and it is irritating to have to watch tacky Spanish dancing when you want to get on with the story. McVicar’s production doesn’t really come alive, dramatically and musically, until the embarrassment at the gaming tables when Alfredo behaves appallingly and Violetta is publicly humiliated.
The superb ensemble, which immediately follows, takes the opera up to another level. Violetta’s death scene, with the reunion with Alfredo and Germont’s remorse for ending their relationship, is one of the great tearjerking finales.
Teatro Real Madrid’s La Traviata can be watched free on YouTube on the OperaVision channel.