Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
La Traviata
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
99p for the first 3 months
La Traviata
Buy Now for £5.79
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Editor reviews
If ever you thought you’d like to give opera a listen but it just seems too impenetrable, this is your chance to give it a go. Opera scholar and writer Thomas Smillie has put together a wonderfully approachable series titled, Opera Explained. In this edition, performed enthusiastically by the veteran, David Timson, Smillie explains the enduring story of romance and sacrifice from the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi. Combining entertaining insight with beautiful renditions of Verdi’s opera, Smillie makes Verdi’s La Traviata accessible to listeners from all backgrounds.
Summary
La Traviata owes its enduring popularity to a superb story of young love and fatal sacrifice, set to music by Italy’s master melodist at the peak of his powers. Interest and poignancy are added by the fact that this is a true story - the baritone ‘heavy’ is Alexander Dumas who wrote The Count of Monte Cristo. But it is the central figure, the heroine Violetta, the archetypal ‘whore with the heart of gold’ who dominates the piece. It is her opera and we love her for it.
A superb ‘human interest’ story, a captivating cast of characters, and music which is both enchanting and insightful: just some of La Traviata’s ingredients explaining its enduring popularity. The characters are outlined with Smillie’s reliable blend of insight and originality: "Violetta, we must accept, is the proverbial Whore with the Heart of Gold, and this ravishing melody goes a long way towards melting the said heart." David Timson narrates throughout.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.