Opera title: | La Traviata |
Composer: | Giuseppe Verdi |
Language: | Italian |
Synopsis: | La Traviata Synopsis |
Libretto: | La Traviata Libretto |
Translation(s): | English Deutsch |
Type: | duet |
Role(s): | Giorgio Germont / Violetta Valéry |
Voice(s): | Baritone / Soprano |
Act: | 2.03b |
Previous scene: | Alfredo? per parigi or partiva |
Next scene: | Pura siccome un angelo |
Giorgio (Georges) Germont, Alfredo's father, visits Violetta in the country house in the vicinity of Paris where she lives with Alfredo, in order to urge her to renounce his son, so that her notorious reputation as a former courtesan wouldn't ruin the chances of Alfredo's sister of marrying her betrothed.Violetta tries invain to move Germont to compassion, claiming that she has repented and renounced her former mundane life-style, and that she is aready mortally ill of consumption. In spite of Violetta's desperate protestations of her undying love for Alfredo, her only ray of hope, Germont remains firm, prompting her to sacrifice herself for his family's sake. Violetta, devastated, claims that, even though the merciful God has forgiven her sins, man will always remain pitiless towards her. She begs the old Germont to tell his son about her sufferings and her sacrifice, in order for him not to curse the memory of her once she has passed away.
Giuseppe Verdi: LA TRAVIATA
Violetta Valéry Virginia Zeani
Alfredo Germont Bruno Prevedi
Giorgio Germont Robert Merrill
Flora Bervoix Marcia Baldwin
Gastone Charles Anthony
Baron Douphol Ron Bottcher
Marquis D'Obigny Gene Boucher
Dr Grenvil Louis Sgarro
Annina Karan Armstrong
Chorus&Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera House,
Conductor: Georges Prêtre
New York (November 12th 1966)
The first two words of the duet, Madamigella Valéry"" (Miss Valéry") are drowned in the applause, so they couldn't be heard.
Enjoy this Act II duet of Violetta and old Germont, in the superb and moving performance by Virginia Zeani and Robert Merrill.
GERMONT
Madamigella Valéry?
VIOLETTA
Son io.
GERMONT
D'Alfredo il padre in me vedete!
VIOLETTA
Sorpresa, gli accenna di sedere
Voi!
GERMONT
sedendo
Sì, dell'incauto, che a ruina corre,
Ammaliato da voi.
VIOLETTA
alzandosi risentita
Donna son io, signore, ed in mia casa;
Ch'io vi lasci assentite,
Più per voi che per me.
per uscire
GERMONT
(Quai modi!) Pure
VIOLETTA
Tratto in error voi foste.
Toma a sedere
GERMONT
De' suoi beni
Dono vuol farvi
VIOLETTA
Non l'osò finora
Rifiuterei.
GERMONT
guardandosi intorno
Pur tanto lusso
VIOLETTA
A tutti
È mistero quest'atto
A voi nol sia.
Gli dà le carte
GERMONT
dopo averle scorse coll'occhio
Ciel! che discopro!
D'ogni vostro avere
Or volete spogliarvi?
Ah, il passato perché, perché v'accusa?
VIOLETTA
con entusiasmo
Più non esiste or amo Alfredo, e Dio
Lo cancellò col pentimento mio.
GERMONT
Nobili sensi invero!
VIOLETTA
Oh, come dolce
Mi suona il vostro accento!
GERMONT
alzandosi
Ed a tai sensi
Un sacrificio chieggo
VIOLETTA
alzandosi
Ah no, tacete
Terribil cosa chiedereste certo
Il previdi... v'attesi... era felice...
Troppo...
GERMONT
D'Alfredo il padre
La sorte, l'avvenir domanda or qui
De' suoi due figli.
VIOLETTA
Di due figli!
GERMONT
Mademoiselle Valéry?
VIOLETTA
Yes.
GERMONT
I'm Alfredo's father.
VIOLETTA
surprised, invites him to sit down
You are?
GERMONT
sitting down
Yes, I'm the father of that headstrong boy,
Who's rushing to his ruin
Because of his infatuation for you.
VIOLETTA
rising indignantly
I am a woman, Sir,
And this is my house;
Please excuse me if I leave you,
More for your sake than mine.
She turns to go out.
GERMONT
to himself
What manners!
All the same ...
VIOLETTA
returning to her chair
There must be some mistake!
GERMONT
He wants to make over everything to you.
VIOLETTA
He wouldn't dare,
I should refuse.
GERMONT
looking round him
You live luxuriously ...
VIOLETTA
showing him a document
That puzzles a lot of people
But you shall know the truth.
GERMONT
looking at the document
Heavens! What are you telling me?
You're sacrificing
Everything you possess?
Is this how the past reproaches you?
VIOLETTA
with enthusiasm
The past is over. I love Alfredo now,
God has wiped out the past.
He knows of my repentance!
GERMONT
Your feelings do you credit.
VIOLETTA
getting up
How kind your voice sounds now.
GERMONT
I have to ask a sacrifice
Of those noble feelings of yours.
VIOLETTA
No! Don't tell me!
Don't tell me your terrible demand!
I foresaw it … I expected it …
I was too happy!
GERMONT
Alfredo's father
Pleads with you now for the future
Of his two children!
VIOLETTA
His two children?
Sheetmusic for duet | ![]() |
Sheetmusic for opera | ![]() |
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