[2/4/2011] Preview: In Verdi's "La Traviata," Violetta's first life-transforming event (continued)

Valerie Masterson and tenor Beniamino Prior in Act I of La Traviata in San Francisco, 1980


ABOUT THAT PAIR OF KARAJAN-LA SCALA
PERFORMANCES OF THE TRAVIATA ACT I PRELUDE

I don't think there's any great mystery here. It's just fascinating, I think, to be able to hear the two performances together. The one we heard first is from the actual performance of Dec. 22, 1964. The second one, from Dec. 15, is from the dress rehearsal, and it just doesn't seem to me as tautly controlled -- and indeed why should it be, since it wasn't an actual performance?


NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE OPERA'S OPENING SCENE

First we're going to hear Valerie Masterson, with John Brecknock as Alfredo, from an English-language recording made the very year as that San Francisco Traviata pictured above took place, 1980. We've already heard these excerpts in one of our previews, and as I mentioned then, this was one of the early opera-in-English recordings made possible with assistance from the Peter Moores Foundation, which has now all been transferred to the Chandos label (including the ENO English-language Ring cycle conducted by Reginald Goodall, in which we heard Masterson as the Rhinemaiden Woglinde.

La Traviata: Prelude; Act I, Opening Scene and Brindisi (in English)

Valerie Masterson (s), Violetta Valéry; John Brecknock (t), Alfredo Germont; Della Jones (ms), Flora Bervoix; Denis Dowling (b), Marquis d'Obigny; Geoffrey Pogson (t), Gastone; John Gibbs (b), Baron Douphol; English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras, cond. EMI (now Chandos), recorded Aug.-Oct. 1980

Now we have two performances in Italian. The first, with soprano Rosanna Carteri and tenor Cesare Valletti, is also one we've heard previously, though without the Prelude, in a mini-tribute to Valletti last June. The second is the opening of the famous 1958 Maria Callas "Lisbon Traviata," with Alfredo Kraus as Alfredo.

La Traviata: Prelude; Act I, Opening Scene and Brindisi

Here's the quick synopsis I offered when we first heard the Carteri-Valletti-Monteux recording of the scene. The time cues of course refer to that recording. (You'll find a link to a complete English translation here.)

At a party at the home of Violetta, young Alfredo Germont is introduced by the gregarious viscount Gastone (at 1:29 of track 1). Later (at 2:57) Gastone informs their hostess of Alfredo's heretofore silent devotion to her. Then, invited to offer the crowd a drinking song, Alfredo first declines (at 4:36), then asks Violetta if it would please her (at 4:48), and (track 2) launches into a brindisi, or drinking song (this is not only the world's best-known brindisi but one of the world's most-loved tunes), to which Violetta joins in with a stanza of her own.

Prelude

Opening Scene . . . Brindisi

Rosanna Carteri (s), Violetta Valéry; Glauco Scarlini (t), Gastone; Leonardo Monreale (bs), Marquis d'Obigny; Cesare Valletti (t), Alfredo Germont; Lidia Marimpietri (s), Flora Bervoix; Arturo La Porta (b) Baron Douphol; Rome Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Pierre Monteux, cond. RCA/BMG/Myto, recorded 1956

Broadcast introduction, including greeting from Callas (all in Portuguese)

Prelude; Opening Scene and Brindisi
Maria Callas (s), Violetta; Piero de Palma (t), Gastone; Vito Susca (bs), Marquis d'Obigny; Alfredo Kraus (t), Alfredo Germont; Laura Zanini (ms), Flora Bervoix; Alvaro Malta (b) Baron Douphol; Chorus of the Teatro São Carlos, Orquestra Sinfónica Nacional (Lisbon), Franco Ghione, cond. Myto, live performance, Mar. 27, 1958

Somewhat later, Violetta has a fainting spell, and encourages all her guests to continue on with the party. Staying behind, she's left with Alfredo, who pleads with her to take better care of herself, saying he wishes he himself had the right to do so, adding that no one in the world loves her the way he does. He acknowledges that he's been smitten with her for a year. Here first are John Brecknock and Valerie Masterson.

La Traviata: Act I, Alfredo, "I saw a vision ethereal . . . Gastone: "Ha ha, what are you doing?" . . . Violetta, "I mean . . . tomorrow"

Valerie Masterson (s), Violetta Valéry; John Brecknock (t), Alfredo Germont; English National Opera Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras, cond. EMI, recorded Aug.-Oct. 1980

Now here are our Italian-language teams.

La Traviata: Act I, Alfredo: "Un dì felice" . . . Gastone: "Ebben, che diavol fate?" . . . Violetta: "Ebben, domani"

ALFREDO: One happy day
You flashed lightly into my life;
And since then I've lived
In tremulous possession
Of that unspoken love,
The pulse of the whole world,
Mysterious, unattainable,
The torment and delight of my heart.
VIOLETTA: If that is true, then leave me.
Friendship is all I can offer you.
I don't know how to love,
I couldn't feel so great an emotion.
I'm being honest with you ? sincere . . .
You should look for someone else,
Then you wouldn't find it hard
To forget me.
GASTONE [appearing in the center doorway]:
Well now? What the devil are you up to?
VIOLETTA: We're talking nonsense.
GASTONE: Ha, ha! Splendid! Go on!
VIOLETTA [to Alfredo]: So no more about love.
Is that a promise?
ALFREDO: I'll do as you say. I'll go. [He turns away.]
VIOLETTA: So it's come to that already?
[She takes a flower from her corsage.] Take this flower.
ALFREDO: Why?
VIOLETTA: So you can bring it back to me.
ALFREDO [turning back]: When?
VIOLETTA: When it's withered.
ALFREDO: You mean . . . tomorrow?
VIOLETTA: Very well, tomorrow.
ALFREDO [rapturously taking the flower]: I'm happy . . .
Oh, so happy!
VIOLETTA: Do you still say you love me?
ALFREDO [about to go]: How much, how much I love you!
I'm happy . . . oh, so happy!
VIOLETTA: You're going?
ALFREDO [coming back to kiss her hand]: I'll go now.
VIOLETTA: Good-bye, then.
ALFREDO: I ask for nothing more.
Good-bye! [He goes out.]

Cesare Valletti (t), Alfredo Germont; Rosanna Carteri (s), Violetta Valéry; Glauco Scarlini (t), Gastone; Rome Opera Orchestra, Pierre Monteux, cond. RCA/BMG/Myto, recorded 1956
Alfredo Kraus (t), Alfredo; Maria Callas (s), Violetta; Piero de Palma (t), Gastone; Orquestra Sinfónica Nacional (Lisbon), Franco Ghione, cond. Myto, live performance, Mar. 27, 1958


IN TOMORROW NIGHT'S PREVIEW --

Left alone after the party, Violetta reflects on her encounter with Alfredo, that first life-transforming event I spoke of, as we prepare to tackle the second, when she meets Alfredo's father, in Sunday's main post.


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