ABSTRACT
Rigoletto, Il trovatore and La traviata are regarded as the masterpieces of Verdi's middle period. Viewed collectively they illustrate Verdi's choice of three significant figures: a court jester, a troubadour and a courtesan, drawn from three diverse historical periods and settings - Renaissance, medieval and contemporary. Rigoletto, the tormented jester, is brought to life as a lyric-dramatic baritone. Manrico, the troubadour of the title, is a heroic tenor. Violetta, 'Ia traviata' ('the led astray'), conveys the reckless gaiety and despair of her situation by means of lyric coloratura. Although Piave's libretto follows the play extremely closely, and at times provides a literal translation of it, the character of Marguerite is essentially different from that of Piave's creation, Violetta Valéry. The death of Violetta carries its own symbolism. Having changed her life she can no longer in conscience live as a courtesan, yet 'polite' society bans one with her past.
