La traviata and work with the composer. One subject was chosen, Piave set to work, and then Verdi threw in another idea, which may have been "La traviata". However, within a short time, a synopsis was dispatched to Venice under the title of "Amore e morte" ("Love and Death"). However, as Budden reveals, Verdi writes to his friend De Sanctis telling him that "for Venice I'm doing "La Dame aux camélias" which will probably be called "La traviata". A subject for our own age." Although still bogged down at Sant'Agata, Piave was sanguine: "Everything will turn out fine, and we'll have a
Giuseppe Verdi Milan. The La Scala impresario, Bartolomeo Merelli, agreed to put on "Oberto" (as the reworked opera was now called, with a libretto rewritten by Temistocle Solera) in November 1839. It achieved a respectable 13 additional performances, following which Merelli offered Verdi a contract for three more works. While Verdi was working on his second opera "Un giorno di regno", Margherita died of encephalitis at the age of 26. Verdi adored his wife and children and was devastated by their deaths. "Un giorno", a comedy, was premiered only a few months later. It was a flop and only given the one