5
FAMOUS
ROMANTI
C OPERA
LA TRAVIATA
La traviata tells the story of the tragic love between the
courtesan Violetta and the romantic Alfredo Germont.
Played out against the hypocrisy of upper-class
fashionable society, Alfredo and Violetta’s love threatens
to shame his family. When his father directly appeals to
Violetta to relinquish her one chance of happiness,
Violetta submits and her act of self-sacrifice leads to her
paying the ultimate price.
Music by Guiseppe Verdi (1813-1901).
MADAMA BUTTERFLY
When American naval vessels frequented Japanese seaports ,
American Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton met Cio-Cio-
San ("Butterfly") and was captivated by her beauty.Pinkerton
rented a Japanese house and part of his rental package is his
"betrothal" to Cio-Cio-San. Treating the marriage merely as a
casual affair , Pinkerton returns to America after the wedding
leaving Cio-Cio-San loyally waiting for his return.He marries an
American wife , he learns that he bore a son with Cio-Cio-
San.Upon learning that Pinkerton had married another woman ,
Cio-Cio-San kills herself to make sure that pinkerton takestheir
son with him.
CARMEN
Carmen is an opera by Georges Bizet based on an 1845 novella
by French dramatist Prosper Mérimée. The title character, a
wild Spanish gypsy, is unscrupulous in matters of the law and of
the heart.The opening scene is set in the 1830s in Seville, Spain.
Carmen attracts everyone's attention, but soldier Don José
pretends not to notice her. The flirtatious Carmen throws him a
flower. He intends to throw it away, but hides it when his
girlfriend, Micaëla, arrives. A knife fight breaks out between
Carmen and another woman, and José is ordered to arrest
Carmen. Thinking fast, Carmen seduces José and escapes,
which results in José's arrest for breach of duty.
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
Count Almaviva has fallen in love with Rosina, the ward of Dr.Bartolo,
and comes to serenade her. He pretends to be the poor student
"Lindoro" so that she will not be influenced by his title. Figaro, formerly
the Count's servant and now a barber in Seville, arrives rejoicing in his
profession (“Largo al factotum”). He tells the Count that Bartolo has
plans to marry Rosina for her inheritance. While they are talking, Rosina
appears on the balcony with a note she has written to the handsome
young stranger who has been serenading her. Unfortunately Bartolo is
right behind her and, alarmed by his ward’s furtive behavior, is
determined to expedite his marriage plans. After leaving instructions
that no one is to enter the house, Bartolo hurries off to organize the
wedding. Promised gold for his assistance, Figaro declares that he can
get Almaviva into the house, disguised as a soldier seeking lodging.
LA BOHEME
La bohème is an opera in four acts, composed by Giacomo
Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa,
based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger. The
world premiere performance of La bohème was in Turin on 1
February 1896 at the Teatro Regio, conducted by the young
Arturo Toscanini. Since then, La bohème has become part of
the standard Italian opera repertory and is one of the most
frequently performed operas worldwide.In 1946, fifty years
after the opera’s premiere, Toscanini conducted a performance
of it on radio with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. This
performance was eventually released on records and on CD. It
is the only recording of a Puccini opera by its original .
LA TRAVIATA ( GUISEPPE
VERDI )
MADAMA BUTTERFLY ( GIACOMO
PUCCINI )
CARMEN ( Georges Bizet )
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
( Gioachino Rossini )
LA BOHÈME ( Giacomo Puccini )
