La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi

La Traviata, one of Giuseppe Verdi’s most beloved operas, premiered at La Fenice in Venice on March 6, 1853. Based on Alexandre Dumas fils’ novel La Dame aux Camélias, the opera presents a searing portrait of love and sacrifice in Parisian society. With a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, Verdi created a poignant musical drama exploring the fate of Violetta Valéry, a courtesan whose love transcends social boundaries. Unfolding across intimate scenes, Verdi’s score brims with lyrical beauty and emotional depth, bridging Romantic intensity with social realism. Its humanist core and musical richness continue to captivate audiences worldwide.

Traviata for Chamber Orchestra (17-27 players)

Verdi scored La Traviata for a standard mid-19th century Italian orchestra: strings, pairs of woodwinds, horns, trumpets, trombones, timpani, and harp, with optional onstage banda. The full orchestra is around 45–50 players, but Traviata’s intimate character lends itself to reduced orchestration. Many chamber productions (30 players or fewer) successfully convey the opera’s essence, making it adaptable to smaller venues. Traviata for Chamber Orchestra requires:

• Flute with piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bassoon
• (French) Horn, trumpet
• 1 or 2 percussionists with timpani, bass drum, triangle, castanets
• Optional harp
• String orchestra (10-18 players):
• 3-6 first violins
• 3-6 second violins
• 2-3 violas
• 1-2 cellos
• 1 bass
• Extra: off-stage band (piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, french horn, trumpet).