Of the thousands of operas produced worldwide, La Traviata remains the most frequently performed of our era. What makes this tale of a French courtesan as popular today as it was over a century ago? What thrills audiences who might dismiss as melodramatic the play that was Verdi’s source—Alexandre Dumas fils’s Camille (La Dame aux camélias)? In this class, we’ll study the classic film (Best Opera Recording award, 1982), directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Teresa Stratas as Verdi’s “fallen woman” and Plácido Domingo as her bereft lover. The simultaneous Italian and English subtitles will help to reinforce (or introduce) Italian-language skills, while deepening appreciation of that interrelationship between music and text which is unique to opera. There’s an optional trip to Lincoln Center, NY, for the Metropolitan Opera’s lavish production, starring Rosa Feola as the ill-fated Violetta (Sunday, May 31, 3:00 p.m.).

Text: All required texts and related materials will be supplied online by the instructor (at no additional cost).