La traviata facts for kids

Poster for the world premiere of La traviata

La traviata is a very famous Italian opera created by Giuseppe Verdi. An opera is like a play where the story is told mostly through singing, with beautiful music played by an orchestra. The words sung in an opera are called a libretto, and for La traviata, the libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave. He based the story on a popular novel called La dame aux camélias by Alexandre Dumas, fils.

La traviata was first performed in Venice, Italy, on March 6, 1853. The title "La traviata" means "The Woman Who Strayed" or "The Fallen One." This refers to the main character, Violetta, who lives a life different from what society expects. Even though the first performance wasn't very successful, the opera quickly became one of the most loved and often performed operas in the world. Many famous singers, like Maria Callas and Renata Scotto, have performed in La traviata.

Main Characters in La traviata

This opera features several important characters, each with a specific voice type that helps tell the story.

Principal Roles and Voice Types

• Violetta Valéry - soprano (a high female voice)
• Alfredo Germont - tenor (a high male voice)
• Giorgio Germont - baritone (a mid-range male voice)

Images for kids

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  Giuseppe Verdi, the composer, around 1850.

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  Francesco Maria Piave, who wrote the words for the opera.

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  Fanny Salvini-Donatelli, the first singer to play Violetta.

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  A scene from the opera showing a party.

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  The cover of an early music score for La traviata from around 1855.